Political Will; Key to Raising the Bar For the Wellbeing of Women and the Girl Child in Africa – Lanre Olagunju

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Staff Reporter

During the 4th Women Deliver Conference which recently took place in Copenhagen, the largest gathering on girls and women’s health and rights, for more than a decade, Pathfinder International, in conjunction with Hacey Health Initiative hosted West Africans to an engaging gathering during the West Africa Regional Caucus meeting to further relate the Sustainable Development Goals to women and the girl child.

The West Africa Regional Caucus meeting was aimed at bringing distinguished advocates from West Africa together to share perspectives on issues limiting the advancement of health and productivity of women and girls across West Africa, so as to further strengthen collaboration among advocates and partners.

Mrs. Toyin Saraki, founder of Wellbeing Foundation, while delivering her address at the Caucus meeting, emphasised on the need for deeper intervention on issues that affect the welbeing of mothers and babies across Nigeria. She said that it’s a lot cheaper to adequately cater for an expectant mother than spend about N150, 000 on a coffin, which is about the cheapest coffin in Nigeria. Mrs. Saraki pushed her argument further by pointing out that the drugs required during pregnancy— from conception; including the cost of the four required antenatal visits and one ultrasound scan, goes for about N50,000. She made it known that in case of a Caesarean section, the total cost can’t be more than N120,000, whereas, the cheapest coffin goes for N150,00.

Toyin Saraki further made a case for women and newborns in her action-provoking address, charging government officials present and other stakeholders to pay attention to every pregnant woman and invest in every single pregnancy. She further implored her distinguished audience at the West Africa regional caucus meeting at Women Deliver conference in Copenhagen that asking for increased attention for the wellbeing of women and newborns isn’t asking for too much because such investments yield results by keeping women and newborns alive.

Focusing on the need for improved use of data to increase accountability on issues relating to women and the girl child, Mrs. Saraki urged the Nigerian government to wake up to its responsibility of keeping reliable data and not only keep records of births and deaths registration, saying that all women must count beyond point of birth and death. She also pointed out that if the Nigerian government can achieve the Bank Verification Number registration across the nation, keeping record to better advance the health of women and newborns is achievable. In her words, “There are 176 million of us, and our women are still the largest contributors to maternal deaths in the world, and then all we want to do is count how many children are born and how many children are dying”. Toyin Saraki also added that “I’m sorry, I don’t want to be a part of that game, because that is not a game changer. That is just an accounting clerk of death.”

The Commissioner for health in Ondo State, Dr. Adeyanju, while responding to interview questions on cost implication of putting health facilities and intervention programs to aid maternal health said “initially the investment into maternal care for women and the newborns will seem expensive, but as the project advances and the awareness increases, expectant mothers begin to come to hospital early, this drops the cost of care, because when we started in Ondo State, the cost of healthcare used to be N6,500 per pregnant woman, now it has dropped to about N4,500 because more women are becoming better informed and they come to make use of health facility pretty early. So with that, we are able to prevent more complications, and you know prevention is a far better approach when it comes to health.”

Dr. Dayo Adeyanju further explained that the motivation for government should be in line with seeing woman beyond figures, but as flesh and blood, he reiterated that “seeing every woman as a living entity with flesh and blood has been the motivation for us in Ondo State. We don’t see women as mere figures, and this has greatly been translated into policies; with top notch birth intervention programs like the Abiye and Agbebiye Save Mother Intervention program, a template for mandatory reporting of all maternal deaths which has helped to drastically reduce maternal mortality, crashing the maternal mortality figure in the state from 745/100, 000 live births to 106/100,000”, he said.

***Lanre Olagunju is a maternal and newborn advocate. @Lanre_Olagunju on Twitter.

@Lanre_Olagunju: Breaking the Silence on Maternal Mental Health

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Staff Reporter

When pregnancy related illnesses are being listed, mental health challenges that affect women during pregnancy and after delivery are most times not remembered or recognized, let alone given attention. A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being is what the World Health Organization defines as health, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, but it’s quite unfortunate that mental health is most times missing in maternal health indicators.

In high income countries, depression or mood disorders which is the most common mental disorder affects 10% of pregnant women and 13% of women who have given birth. From the data available, the prevalence of common perinatal mental disorders (CPMDs) is as high as 33% during pregnancy and 59% after childbirth in low and mid income countries.

Psychotic illnesses, to a large extent can be more detrimental, but only few suffer it. According to Dr. Adebayo, a mental health expert, “The most common mental health problem after childbirth is what is commonly referred to as “baby blues.” This is a relatively milder form of emotional disturbance that happens to about 30-80% of mothers, but it often will not significantly impair a mother’s ability to care for her child.”

The challenge with low and middle income countries is that there are no statistics, so it’s difficult to put the issue of maternal mental health into proper perspective. Record keeping and use of data plays a vital role in working out strategies and interventions to fight maternal mortality caused by mental imbalance.

Low and middle income countries attach a couple of limiting cultural beliefs to mental health challenges. In many African countries for instance, mental disorder is easily attached and attributed to spiritual forces. Lagos based Psychiatrist; Dr. Ayomide Adebayo explained in an interview that “although there is cultural recognition of maternal mental problems, they remain almost un-talked about that many who develop them think they’re the only ones, so there is a widespread perception that they are uncommon.” And this brings questions to mind, how can an unacknowledged problem be solved? “The belief that mental illness is a spiritual problem encourages “treatment” from spiritualists, traditional healing centres and religious prayer houses, leading to avoidance of hospitals(until it is too late), which may be anything from unhelpful to actively dangerous” Adebayo elucidated.

Women who have low level of support, history of depression, unplanned pregnancy, and violence with their spouse are found to suffer postpartum depressive symptoms more. According to The World Health Organization, the risk of CPMDs – Common Perinatal Mental Disorder is lower among women with higher access to better education; women who have paid employment; sexual and reproductive health services, and those who have supportive and non-critical or judgmental spouses and relatives.

There are multiple but unclear factors associated with common perinatal mental disorder among women living in low income communities. Many women rarely term or see their depression or moodiness from a mental health perspective. So they see no reason seeking medical attention.

To better capture the experiences of women and design realistic health services to them through their personal experiences, a trained psychologist interviewed 22 postpartum women in Mexico to get an expression of how they’d describe the symptoms of their disorder and emotional reactions. The findings revealed that women used words like useless, desperate, frozen, unable to manage nerves, emptiness, feeling extremely lonely despite having others around to describe their feelings.

According to the research conducted in Mexico, some women opened up that the feeling sometimes go beyond just feeling sad, it sometimes come with fear, anger, feeling stressed, and an intense feeling of worry, embarrassment and inadequacy about their capability to properly take care of their baby. The survey reports a woman who said “When [the baby] was still inside me, I had talked to and played with her … but now, having her here, I didn’t know how to play or how to talk, I didn’t know what to do with her.” According to the survey report by the Mexican psychiatrist, another woman related her experience with her husband saying: He would say to me, “You don’t take care of your appearance anymore, you look like a slob, you don’t get made up or do your hair, you don’t change your clothes. I get home and find my wife like I left her in the morning.”

Many women don’t have a clear idea why they feel the way they feel during pregnancy or after delivery, but they are conscious, though confused, about how they feel. With this confusion and lack of information, they are left to battle the intense desire to ignore and suppress their feelings by diverting attention to the baby and other household chores. When women do this, they are faced with the challenge of a deteriorating relationship with their spouses. And this remains a huge concern to them due to the seemingly feeling of rejection from partners most especially when partners don’t offer quality emotional support.

In place of seeking medical help, many women only seek advice from older women who most times encourage them to simply pay attention to their children. What a daunting task! Mental health challenges hamper women’s perinatal care attendance, it causes women to lose enthusiasm to adhere to medical prescription, and this could impact on the baby negatively in several ways.

However, Dr. Adebayo was quick to point out that, “the idea that a woman with mental illness cannot breastfeed (for fear she might “infect” the child), is just another limiting fear as there is no such risk.” That said, the psychiatrist mentioned that “mothers with more severe mental disorders may indeed be unable to care for their children: if their judgment is impaired. But preventing a mother from caring for her child may only increase her distress.” Suggesting a better approach, “let her care as much as she is able, with ready support at any time (in Africa, the presence of her own mother is often helpful here) — basically because mental illness is NOT transferrable. It isn’t something anyone, child or otherwise, can “catch” like an infection”, Adebayo reiterated.

Over time, some women get over their poor mental health, while many with chronic cases don’t. Women with such chronic disorders are more likely to have premature and low weight babies who later face challenges like stunting, poor cognitive and motor development amongst others. For some other women, they succumb to suicide during pregnancy or the postpartum period. Unfortunately, death caused by suicide is often not included in maternal mortality despite that in some cases it counts for about 20-33% of maternal deaths. Despite such an alarming figure, Dr. Adebayo is of the opinion that, “mental disorders only become a big deal when it is not faced as a big deal. When it is taken seriously, yes, it becomes not so much a big deal.”

The “No health without mental health” international call to action by the WHO needs to be emphasized and established across the globe. Mental maternal health silence can actually be broken by introducing mental health screening and treatments during ANC -Ante-natal Care Clinics. Friends and family of pregnant women also need to offer empathy and listening ears, so woman can express their feelings, as this can increase chances for healthier motherhood.

Lanre Olagunju blogs for the African Union on the Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal, Newborn and Child Mortality in Africa. He is @Lanre_Olagunju on Twitter

This piece was first published on Guardian Newspaper and republished here with author’s permission. Views expressed are solely that of the author.

KogiDecides: Politics Aside Kogi State Deserves Good Governance – @Lanre_Olagunju

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Nigerian politicians most times fail to realize that Nigerians aren’t as concerned about the party in government – be it the People’s Democratic Party or the All Progressives Congress – as much as they are concerned about good governance. Politicians, in many cases, are still mostly conceived to be liars and king of mischief. But in the real sense, good governance doesn’t lie. When a government works, everyone feels the impact. But when a government in power need to write a book, gather local and international Public Relations experts to list out its achievements, then definitely something is wrong.

For the sake of democracy, and more importantly honour for the PDP in Kogi State, I would suggest that the PDP put down a reputable candidate to duly represent her in the forth coming gubernatorial election scheduled for the 21^st of November. That’s the first thing the PDP needs to do to at least up its game and strategy towards the next election. Kogi state is in dire need of resuscitation and Capt. Wada, the executive governor of Kogi State, has shown in the last four years that he is far from being up to the task. It will be very foolish of the PDP to agree to Wada’s re-election plans. I mean …what for!

The PDP is well known for relegating its best brains; Nigerians have also mastered the best response to such insensitive act. Just like the PDP suffered predictable defeat at the last general election, PDP in Kogi state will not even have a real chance to compete if Wada is presented for re-election. There is no better way to insult the collective intelligence of the good people of Kogi than to have the PDP approve of Wada’s re-election. The state should have its primaries and give other party members a chance. At least that will warm up the elections a bit, and give the APC a run for its money. If the PDP were to be a party given to critical and honest assessment, the party need not wait till the next elections to test and ascertain Capt. Idris Wada’s popularity. Wada practically has killed the PDP in Kogi and made a mess of any iota of honour left for the Party.

Aside from PDP’s notoriety for massive rigging and election mal-practices, it’s very difficult to see how Idris Wada hopes to be re-elected. The public booing Wada received during the inauguration of the new House of Assembly depicts the people’s disgust. The average citizens of Kogi daily lament on how Wada’s leadership has been depressing save for those who of course feed fat at the State’s expense.

In a democratic system, it’s almost impossible to separate smart political ideologies from good governance. The two most influential parties must get rid of all those who have previously governed the state. My disgust for Governor Idris Wada’s administration has nothing to do with his political party as much as it is with the fact that he has failed woefully in delivering the dividend of democracy to his people. Prince Abubakar Audu who has governed in two different occasions, Alhaji Ibrahim idris, Idris Wada – the present governor and others who have governed the state before should be dispensed if Kogi actually wants to experience change. Or are there no fresh and credible minds in Kogi anymore?

However, it’s quite clear that if the APC presents a statue at the next polls against Idris Wada, the statue stands a better chance. In its best interest, the APC shouldn’t give room for the “anointed man” politics. At this stage, this should be buried and forgotten without any hope of resurrection, so Kogi can stand a chance to be governed by the actual choice of the people. People of Kogi must vehemently say no to shabby party primaries.

Wada should consider it quite shameful that supporters of his party have made their intentions publicly known to abandon the party, just like it was done during the general elections, where PDP supporters largely voted for the APC. From all indications, it’s a new beginning in Kogi State, one can only hope that the electorates will exercise their voting right in getting rid of the PDP and other old cargos clamoring for the Luggard House. The collective desire for good governance and change in Kogi must be expressed in the enthusiasm and willingness of the citizens to follow through the elections, voting exercise and also in ensuring that their votes count. Regardless of political affiliations, at the November 21^st election, people of Kogi should look out for the party with a developmental ideology, accompanied with a disciplined and trustworthy personality who can bring such ideas into reality.

I am @Lanre_Olagunju on Twitter

Why Social Security in Nigeria Will be Dead on Arrival – @Lanre_Olagunju

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Staff Reporter

It is unarguable that the topmost responsibility of every government is to provide security and cater for the welfare of its people; but good governance is also essentially about using cost effective and sustainable strategies to get result that translates into better living conditions for citizens. The All Progressives Congress gained tangible popularity with many of its mouth watering promises that bothered many economic analysts, including unrepentant optimists who strongly and openly supported the APC presidential campaign. It is important to clearly state here that none of those promises include the false and much talked about making a dollar equal to N1 – as many ignorant Nigerians have chosen to believe. Ignorant Nigerians who wrongly hold to this claim, do so vehemently, until you ask for a campaign video, advert or newspaper cut-out that supports such a hopeless delusion.

Ordinarily, one would have thought that the promise to pay N5,000 to the poorest Nigerians in form of social security was another campaign promise scheduled for the far future after the APC possibly must have been able to make a better meaning of Nigeria’s present economic degradation. But it’s quite baffling to hear Prof. Yemi Osinbajo who is highly cerebral in every sense, say recently at the 10TH Year Anniversary Lecture at Crescent University in Ogun State that there are on going plans to pay N5,000 to unemployed graduates and the poorest Nigerians across the country.
This is clearly another fire brigade approach to poverty alleviation. The means or chances of possibly getting the project done and sustaining it suggest that the project might just end up to be another major scam just like many other schemes with seemingly good intentions at the onset.

The mechanism with which this promise would be delivered is of great concern, knowing fully well that the present Nigeria is one that pays little or zero attention to data. According to World Bank Statistics, there are about 112 million extremely poor Nigerians who practically feed on less than $1.25USD a day. How does the government intend to reach out to these ones directly, without shooting itself in the leg? As this can easily turn out to be the biggest scam known to Nigeria, or a waiting opportunity by corrupt government officials to amass wealth. On what basis does the government consider a person to be extremely poor or unemployed? What would the criteria be? The unemployment status is a temporary one, how does the project hope to get notified when a young graduate gets a good job with an “arm robber salary”? How long will the project last, how will the government sustain it and then deal with the increasing number of people that join the category of unemployed year in year out?

Until government improves on record keeping at every level, social security in form of giving money to unemployed would rather create more problems. The Nigerian Police is yet to make adequate provision of laptop/desktop computers for its members, and we are here talking social security which needs data to thrive. Is this a joke?

Is the present administration working and planning in line with the present low price of crude oil, and the fact that as at June 2015, market data says an estimate of about 80 million barrels of Nigerian crude are stranded and looking for buyers? Where would the funds to cater for 112 million people come from despite the country’s huge and alarming debt? Certainly not from the stolen funds the Buhari’s government is yet to recover.

The question is where exactly will the money come from? Presently 18 states are technically bankrupt and are finding it very difficult to pay salaries. Some owe as far back as 8 months’ salary. Many of these states have made agreement with contractors by signing irrevocable payment orders with financial institutions, by so doing, contractors get paid first from the money states get from Federal Government. Many governors got into this financial mess by embarking on projects they have no financial capacity to carry out and also their inability to creatively generate income internally. Is this not the same direction the Buhari’s administration is heading? God forbid this administration becomes another clueless one!

President Buhari and his team shouldn’t be unwittingly bound by the saying that a promise is a debt. It doesn’t essentially play out if Nigerians will be better off in the long run with the promise. Mr. President and his Vice will have to openly carry Nigerians along with their plans and strategies.

What Nigerians need is security; the killings have to stop in the North East, the increasing rate of kidnapping amongst other subtle forms of violence and terrorist acts.

When this is done, businesses will thrive. With adequate power, young and innovative Nigerians will create their own realities. When stolen funds are retrieved, they should be used in investing into the economy such that entrepreneurship can blossom, which in turn would create employment. This strategy will reduce poverty, and the benefits of building infrastructure directly or indirectly will outweigh the benefit of meagre N5,000 to the unemployed.

Giving young people money for doing nothing is not a healthy option in a society like ours. How do we create enterprise by so doing? Young people need skills and education to create their own future not N5,000.

I am @Lanre_Olagunju on Twitter.

Views expressed above are solely that of the author and not of Omojuwa.com or its associates.

#KogiDecides: What Kogi Needs – @Lanre_Olagunju

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Staff Reporter

When an institution is faced with constant decline in infrastructural development, the leadership seat of such an institution should be declared vacant. Kogi State which was created in 1991 presently lacks sincere and competent leadership that the state truly deserves. The present administration of Capt. Idris Wada has shown clearly that it doesn’t have what it takes to at least maintain the height of development and infrastructure it met, let alone better the economic fortunes of the state. It will be foolhardy to think, assume or expect that a failed government would suddenly become a result oriented one when given another four years.

As the suspense and political drama gradually heightens towards the gubernatorial election, which is set to hold on the 21st of November, the good people of Kogi need to clearly stay off the shenanigans of ethnicity, religion and “money-must-change-hands-politics”. The fear and risk of losing another opportunity to bring Kogi State to greatness should constantly motivate citizens of Kogi to team up against looters and politicians who have no business occupying the Lugard House.

The present report sheet of Governor Idris Wada for the last four years in office is shameful and nothing to write home about. He has again communicated to Nigerians via his insensitivity and incompetence that the PDP is a congregation of individuals who lack sincerity and result oriented approach to growth and development. Nothing seems to be working in Kogi, most times, salaries are not being paid as at when due. Education is presently in a state of collapse. Roads are in a poor state including the one leading to the government house in Lokoja.

Listening to the cries of the average man in Kogi State, the lamentations of citizens of the state makes it look like only an angel can fix the many challenges of economic and infrastructural degradation that the state swims in presently. But that’s not democracy, and it would be unpatriotic to merely sit back and remain in the pool of helplessness.

Democracy is essentially about the people. So when democracy fails, the people to a large extent have failed. In the case of Kogi State, the real failure is stamping the ticket, – approving a failed politician. If a politician like Wada, in the first place, was all about himself and what he could get, then he hasn’t failed in that regard as far as he his personally concerned. When voters refuse to open their eyes to see, hence get a failed politician in the helm of affair for another 4 years, it’s like approving misery and hopelessness.

Of the many steps towards charting a new course for a suffering State like Kogi, the first on the list is definitely to unseat the PDP. A former governorship aspirant of the PDP recently alleged that Governor Wada hardly visits Lokoja more than once or twice a week, that he would rather remain in Abuja.

In a sane clime, electorates wouldn’t even have to consider the PDP in Kogi State, save for those that benefit from the lack of infrastructural development that the State has presently been popular for. If the PDP top shots in Kogi will be honest, Wada is a disgrace even to his party.

The present economic woes in Kogi State are surmountable only with a dynamic and forward thinking leader. I must make my point clear about unseating the PDP. It doesn’t just end there as a matter of fact; even the opposition camp needs careful scrutiny. For instance, I consider the candidature of former two times Governor Abubakar Audu uncalled for. After two successful attempts to govern the state and several failed attempt to return to power, I think it’s high time someone told Abubakar Audu to chill.

The APC needs to be calculative and must ensure that the best candidate gets the opportunity to carry the party’s flag at the next election. Abubakar Audu by now should be a mentor to young and upcoming politicians in the state who find him worthy.

Political observers in Kogi should question Audu’s allegiance to his party. There seem to be a funny partnership with the incumbent governor. He has been publicly seen praising Governor Idris Wada for taking the state to the next level. What next level exactly? He must be referring to the present level of abject poverty and penury that envelops Kogi State! This same Audu has openly vented his disgust over the gross mismanagement in the present administration, coming to terms with the fact that the mismanagement of public funds and state resources has lead Kogi State, a state with a population of about 1.3 million people to become the most underdeveloped and backward state in the country. He seems to be an unstable politician. Kogi needs a leader with a clear mind and intelligent brain who is a goal oriented achiever.

I am @Lanre_Olagunju on Twitter

Views expressed above are solely that of the author and not of Omojuwa.com or its associates

Teaching History in Schools as Part of our National Development – @Lanre_Olagunju

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Evil, they say, prevails when good men fail to act; but there seem to be a kind of evil that doesn’t readily come to mind when we flaunt this saying. It is the evil caused by good men who lack basic knowledge about the past. From the way Nigeria falls repeatedly into cycle of errors, it is obvious that Nigerians collectively are yet to learn anything substantial from history. If we have, we haven’t acted upon the lessons that history provides.

The entire nation seems to be united at this point for true change, but this change certainly is a long term one that’d require a clean understanding of our history. So we know where we are as a nation, where we are heading, what to do, and how to do it better.

It is difficult to understand how as a nation we think we can come close to sustainable change without the knowledge of history – forgetting that time past is part of time present, and time present is part of time future. If we must discover sustainable ideas and solutions to our national issues, educated Nigerians who analyse discuss and proffer solutions need to engage more with the past.

Sadly, our educational system has been seriously lagging behind in this regard. If this generation is ever going to break out of this cycle of failure, ethnicity, scarcity mentality and mediocrity, we must first understand the forces that birthed these problems. Else, the change clamoured for would remain a wild goose chase.

The time to revisit this long abandoned human-centered recipe which is fundamentally needed for growth and development is now. That Nigeria has undyingly remained a giant by mere name-calling is a sign that we lack a perfect sense of our potentials as a nation, which perhaps might be reawakened by a sense of national consciousness. It would always remain a daunting task to attempt searching for what is not known. Young Nigerians with the zeal to sincerely see the nation experience true transformation are daily increasing in number; in fact many are on the path to re-writing the nation’s history. But I am afraid we will suffer from collective amnesia as we blindly grope into the future without a guide post of precedence to shape our different course in the respective area of influence we have chosen. How well can one re-write history that is not known?

The social media which has successfully played a key role in social-economic awareness among many Nigerians will not essentially cover up for the lack of history or the knowledge that it provides. No it won’t! As a matter of fact it will only amplify it, given that social media is a platform which amplifies knowledge or ignorance.

Studying Nigerian history in schools as a compulsory and fundamental academic requirement and discipline is very vital for the country’s development at this crucial point – if the country is serious about genuine development. At all levels, our schools seriously need to re-introduce the Nigerian History into curriculums. History is consciously used to inspire nation building in many developed nations, and this places a huge gap between the advanced nations and under-developed ones.

It’s a common slogan that the Nigerian educational system doesn’t breed young people for national transformation. Well, the problem might not be with the school. The real problem might be that, many people in the schools – both the students and teachers – are not aware of the country’s real problems. Hence, the whole essence of the school falls as a waste in the long run.

Motivational speakers and revolutionaries inspiring change amongst the upwardly mobile Nigerians need to know that mere motivation focused on awakening the can-do spirit is not enough. Young Nigerians need knowledge of the past. The past is not a dead past, basically because that past is still living and taunting us as a nation, sadly that past is still in our present.

When we pay more attention to our history, maybe we would clearly see that Nigeria in the real sense of it is yet to be a nation even after 100 years of amalgamation. Maybe with full knowledge of hindsight, we would now realize that we can’t keep seeing this country from the prism of tribalism and religion just as every generation including the present one has mostly done. Perhaps with knowledge, we would clean our hot tears carefully and then move beyond the lamentation that Nigeria was founded based on a business and selfish interest of the British, until we move beyond that, setting out to calve out a dream we can call the Nigerian dream might remain difficult.

Lanre Olagunju is an hydrologist turned freelance journalist and blogger, he is an alumnus of the American College of Journalism. He is @Lanre_Olagunju on Twitter.

Addressing Nutritional Needs for Child Development – @Lanre_Olagunju

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Malnutrition in its different forms is the biggest cause of under-5 mortality in Africa, it accounts for almost half of all child deaths. Around the world a total of 162 million children under five years are stunted and approximately 52 million children suffer from wasting – a debilitating disease caused by extreme low energy intake, resulting in muscle and fat tissue wasting away.

In 2010, while delivering her speech titled “Change a Life Change the Future”, Hilary Clinton emphasized that improved nutrition during the first 24 months of life provides the child with a valuable “1000 day window of opportunity” for lifelong health and development. Nutritionists and scientists agree, and have shown that tackling malnutrition in children requires dedicated action to improve nutrition from pregnancy to 2 years of age. This implies that solving health problems related to a nutritional deficit will also require that pregnant mothers eat nutritious food at the right time and in the right quantity so that children get a good start in life.

The early days of a child’s life represent a key opportunity to ensure that a path to healthy living is guaranteed. Nutrition officer Dr. Abimbola Ajayi, former Deputy Director of Lagos State Ministry of Health on Nutrition and now a gubernatorial candidate running for Lagos, with over 27 years of post doctoral experience in Human Nutrition explained that “child nutrition is fundamental to a child’s wellbeing, far beyond how many development experts look at it.”

She illustrated her thesis saying that “in a third-world country like Nigeria where over 100 million people live far beyond the poverty line, feeding at all is a major issue, let alone expecting the poor to have appropriate nutrition. Malnourished adults can’t but give birth to malnourished children and sadly that’s how poverty strengthens, the cycle continues.”

Malnutrition can have such serious side effects as slowing brain development Dr. Ajayi explained, “after the age of 3 any delay in brain development or any other adverse effect of malnourishment on a child’s mental development becomes irreversible”.

However, there is a safe and nourishing way to ensure healthy development of a child –breastfeeding “Breastfeeding a child until the age of three will ensure that a child’s mental development is perfect, such that the child’s mental capability puts him/her on a level playing ground with any child in the world” says Dr. Ajayi. However, she was quick to identify why breastfeeding hasn’t yielded the phenomenal results in improving child malnutrition that it’s capable of … she asks “how many women feed their kids till age 3 to make ample use of this natural provision?”

Abimbola feels strongly that the Non-Governmental-Organisations can’t do it all, that the responsibility for feeding the populace lies predominantly with the government. She recognizes UNICEF as the main institution working and making major impact in combating child malnutrition but according to Abimbola many of UNICEF’s contributions fail due to lack of continuity, mainly as a result of inadequate backing from the government. The inability of government to put the right personnel forward to head nutrition projects or departments remains a huge challenge. In her opinion it is an error having medical doctors or those in medical professions head nutrition projects, and these decisions ensure that the projects don’t achieve their main goals “put a nutritionist where a nutritionist is needed and not a medical doctor” Abimbola reiterated.

She concluded “it is the main responsibility of the government to cater for its citizen’s nutritional nourishment” because “nutrition plays a major role in national development”. Good nutrition contributes to children’s mental development and, when people fall ill due to a lack of adequate nutrition, the government will inevitably end up spending more money on her citizens in a medical setting.

***This piece was first published on carmma.org but it has been republished with the permission of the author.

Lanre Olagunju is an hydrologist turned freelance journalist. An alumnus of American College of Journalism, he blogs for the African Union on the Campaign On Accelerated Reduction Of Maternal, Newborn And Child Mortality In Africa. Follow @Lanre_Olagunju on Twitter.

Views expressed above are solely that of the author and not of Omojuwa.com or its associates.

With Akinwunmi Ambode Lagos will Be Fine – @Lanre_Olagunju

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The phenomenal transformation Lagos has encountered in recent years is basically due to the brilliant heads that have governed the state. For the next gubernatorial polls, superficially looking at the calibre of the top two gubernatorial candidates, one can hastily say that Lagos, most likely will just be fine with any of them.

But considering the fact that democracy magnifies the essence of political decision-making, and punishes electorates when they decide not to look beyond the nose when taking political decisions; for that singular fact, I advice that Lagosians get their facts right to ensure developmental continuity in Lagos. Lagos can’t settle for less at this point, anyone replacing Fashola must have adequate experience to occupy that seat, not just any brilliant technocrat who is passionate about delivering Lagos to the People’s Democratic Party.

During an interview conducted by the convener of Good Governance Group (3G), Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was asked to shed light on the leadership problem in Africa, and some of his responses were quite revealing. “There is nothing wrong with Africa, there’s a lot wrong with our leadership. Will you say that God has not endowed us enough? Will you? Will you say God has not given us men and women who can stand on their own anywhere in the world? Will you?” Obasanjo asks.

He further expatiates on the leadership problem in Africa, recalling his own experiences as a Former President. “After I left government as military head of state, I realized that there are two areas of problems, I call one mistake of omission, mistake of omission is when leaders in any walks of life just don’t know any better, either because of limitation of education, limitation of experience, limitation of training, limitation of knowledge…whatever”

Obasanjo opened up that sometimes, those of them who have occupied leadership positions do not know any better, he illustrates this truth pointing at one of his un-thoughtful decisions – which had to do with putting a good and brilliant person in a position that basically requires knowledge and relevant experience. “When I was military head of state, using the example of the national carrier -The Nigeria Airways. The Nigeria Airways was a mess, whatever we tried to do we did not get it right, but I had the presidential pilot or the pilot of the Head of States, a man called Paul Taha. Paul was a first class man, decent, honest and well behaved. So one day I just got fed up with Nigeria Airways so I called Paul and said Paul I want you to take over running the affairs of the Nigeria Airways and Paul agreed, Paul never ran an airline before but he was a good pilot.

Well I should have known that being a good pilot does not mean that you will be a good airline manager, so every other day I will phone him “Paul how are you getting on?” He would say he is alright, one day I phoned him and he said “Sir, I feel like committing suicide” I said, I will pull you out rather than allow you to commit suicide, what is the matter? And he said there’s this airline either Lufthansa or KLM, they have an expert who used to visit Nigeria Airways for about a week, once in six months. So this man came and looked at the flight timetable that Paul had prepared, and when he looked at it he flung it, this took him two nights, and the man said “it might have taken you ten nights but what I see is that you go from Lagos to Kaduna everyday on Monday you take off at 8:30, on Tuesday you take off at 7, on Wednesday you take off at 8. How much convenient would it have been for you and your customers to know that there is a flight to Kaduna everyday, it is 7am daily except Sunday, simple thing!”

And Paul said that thing was so simple but the fact that he did not know of it .…” That’s what I call “mistake of omission”, because of limitation of experience and training” Obasanjo narrates.

In line with the above illustration by Olusegun Obasanjo, I strongly feel that Lagos will benefit a lot by having Akinwunmi Ambode as the next governor, considering his wealth of experience and knowledge, plus the credible achievement he has attained in his career and professional life. I am delighted about his candidacy. He is well versed as an Accountant, Administrator, Public Finance expert and also in civil service matters.

Akin Ambode Lagos gubernatorial aspirant

Ambode’s profile doesn’t agree with the perception that the public service is only filled with civil servants who are unimaginative. This is a man like Fashola who knows the Lagos State civil service and the working of government like the back of his hands. He has served as Assistant Treasurer to Badagry Local Government, Auditor to Shomolu Local Government, Council Treasurer to Alimosho Local Government and Council Treasurer to Mushin Local Government.

He was later appointed Auditor General of Local Government Councils. Thereafter, he become Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and later became the youngest Accountant-General of the state at the age of 37, a position he occupied till 2012, after which he voluntarily resigned – making his retirement the first ever recorded voluntary retirement by a Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Public Service.

Under his watch, Lagos state’s budget performed at an average of 85 percent annually.

He has been able to transfer his wealth of experience into private practice by establishing Brandsmiths Consulting Limited in 2012. Brandsmiths presently consult for federal, state and local government on financial advisory services.

Should we ignore Ambode’s 27 years of quality experience working with the State, where he has held key positions and made tangible contributions as Auditor General for Local Governments, Permanent Secretary and Accountant General?

Should we then suddenly start demanding change just for the sake of it and then suspend our reasoning as electorates? Experience counts a lot. The days of having good men in leadership positions merely because they are good are over. Anyone who must lead must be garnished with relevant experience that can be translated into development. Such must also have relevant and successful track records. You’ve got to be passionate about the people and that must show via your track records.

My fear with Jimi Agbaje is that in every sense of it, he doesn’t come close to Ambode’s wealth of relevant experience. Say I’m biased, but truthfully I have researched and concluded that Agbaje’s private sector experience isn’t any stellar. Let’s say it’s a little above average. At best! I wonder where he has been after he lost in 2007, only to show up all of a sudden.

The PDP certainly needs his good image to gain Lagos. But truthfully Lagos’ development needs more than that. This state needs to develop into a real megacity and Lagosians need to keep holding the leadership responsible at all times, so they can be accountable.

Eko O ni baje.

I am @Lanre_Olagunju on Twitter.

Views expressed above are solely that of the author.

Media Reporting: Keeping Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights on the Government Agenda By Lanre Olagunju

Posted on June 22, 2013 by Staff Reporter

To achieve significant progress in improving maternal, newborn and child health, both men and women must realise and come to terms with their sexual and reproductive health rights. The World Health Organization recognises the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children; to have the information and means to do so; and to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. This also includes the right of all to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence.

At the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, a non-binding programme of action stated that governments have a duty to cater for individuals’ reproductive needs, rather than demographic targets. The Cairo Programme of Action was the first to assert that reproductive health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system.

If developing nations are to achieve some of the United Nation’s Millennium Development goals on reproductive health, the influence of the media needs to be harnessed in mobilizing the private sector and community groups to act. It can also ensure that commitments made by government and non-government organizations are met. Such goals can be achieved through media promoted discussions, lectures, articles, blogs, and debates for public sensitization.

Maternal mortality rate is highest in Africa, where poor sexual and reproductive health is prevalent. UNFPA reports that illnesses and deaths from poor reproductive health account for one-fifth of the global burden of disease, and that only 20% of married women use modern contraception. Unfortunately, the media reportage and attention given to sexual and reproductive health remains low. This has to do with the inability or lack of motivation to report such issues by media practitioners.

The media plays a vital role in galvanizing governmental and non-governmental support on issues related to SRHR by continually raising public awareness to a targeted audience such as policymakers, program implementers and other key stakeholders. As a result, reproductive health issues become more visible in developmental discussions. By promoting openness and public discussions, the media can help break the culture of silence and level of stigma and discrimination associated with SRHR issues. Also, bringing these issues to the fore will provide information that will positively affect reproductive health policy.

The media drives the news and decide how they are presented. It is also a major key in setting a nation’s policy agenda. Before an issue can capture the attention of policy makers, the media must first report the issue, then present how it affects national development. Issues receive attention usually because it affects a large number of people or because inactions will lead to nationwide setbacks.

When such an issue receives wide coverage, policy makers are then persuaded by facts and proofs to look into how it can be dealt with. In the same vein, both the mass media and new media have the potential to promote better outcomes for sexual and reproductive health. A good example is the case of the reporter who succeeded in persuading the Tanzanian government to increase funding for contraceptives in 2010, after being trained by Population Reference Bureau to profile shortages in family planning supplies.

To grab the attention of high level policy makers, strategic and informed media coverage should be engaged by SRHR advocates, health personnel, as well as mass media and social media practitioners. It is imperative that they are familiar with the policies and programs needed to be addressed, so as to help shape policies and public opinion. Media attention is also crucial to holding policymakers accountable for spending and equitably maximizing resources allocated for SRHR projects, most especially in countries where corruption is endemic.

Health agencies and organizations should look out for strategic ways to engage journalists and media personnel in the sexual right and reproductive health campaign. A good strategy to motivate, create and sustain interest among journalists is to provide them with data, trainings and seminars which would intelligently aid their reporting on the issue. That aside, organizing journalist awards with cash prizes for good reporting on SRHR can as-well boost the status and prestige associated with reporting on SRHR.

I am @Lanre_Olagunju on Twitter

5 Reasons We Need to Keep Talking About Newborn Health By Lanre Olagunju

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Staff Reporter

The health of every child is important, particularly that of newborns who are most vulnerable. Their health and survival remain crucial to every nation and government, basically because a huge number of children under five deaths occur during the first month of life.

An African adage says that a man’s topmost needs and challenges occupy his thoughts and discussions. Whether enough has been said or done about maternal health across the globe is still up for debate, but the fact that we are still losing newborns and mothers for avoidable reasons is the singular reason why we cannot afford to stop talking about how to put an end to this challenge.

Let’s examine some likely benefits of continuing the conversation about the health and survival of newborns in Africa:

1. The opinion that talking about issues does not change them is not entirely right, because a constantly-discussed problem stands a better chance of grabbing public attention. It is difficult to believe the fact that about 3.6 million babies lose their lives within the first four weeks of life. We need not just to keep talking about these challenges, but also to constantly search for ways to ensure that new-borns and their mothers have the right access to quality health care.

2. Because the figures of newborn deaths remain alarming, we need to keep talking about raising the standard for child’s health in Africa, especially in light of the fact that the solutions to this challenge is neither scarce or expensive. We only need to encourage our women to adopt habits of good nutrition, healthy home practices, as well as delay childbirth in adolescents whose bodies aren’t mature for pregnancy. For mature women, we can successfully talk them into spacing their children so they can reduce the stress on their bodies. We can locally form mother and baby groups to support newborns by encouraging mothers to make their babies available for timely immunization.

3. If we collectively play an active role, we can increase awareness by getting the government and relevant agencies to be more accountable. It is important to note that this cannot be achieved in isolation – as individuals we can only do so much – but with a strong voice we can push our government to increase the health care facility for mothers and newborns. That is also a way to hold government to the promises they have made concerning health care programs. By simply talking, we can compel the government to increase its political will to work towards the survival of newborns.

4. It is also crucial to note that emphasizing child health will help the African continent, as there is a strong link between mortality and economic development. We cannot afford to keep losing children with future potential and then keep pretending that all is fine! When we collectively talk and think about maternal and newborn mortality, we would realize that it would be difficult for any nation to continually lose mothers and babies in such grave quantities. They play a major role in economic development as natural care givers, and foster sustainable growth and development across the continent.

5. Finally, increasing the survival and health of mothers and newborn babies is a critical part towards achieving the millennium development goals for 2015 and beyond.

The African continent cannot accept that the issue of newborn and maternal health is “business as usual.” Good maternal health care guarantees the best possible outcome, and for that to materialize in our nations and in the African continent as a whole, we must make maternal and newborn health a priority. We must keep discussing the different ways to advance this cause. We must keep bringing this issue to the forefront.

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD: There’s No Law Against The Granting Of Pardon To Any Criminal By @Lanre_Olagunju

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Staff Reporter

Just when you manage to allow yourself think that things can’t get worse with governance in Nigeria, you can be always sure to get one rude shock or the other. But with President Jonathan’s hopeless administration, you can be so sure of an overdose of rude shocks as each day brings up fresh absurdities and insane anomalies.

The unfortunate side of the story is that we the governed allow ourselves to dwell in the delusion that President Jonathan is clueless. I beg to say that he’s not. He has an agenda and he wouldn’t mind to undo the little good deeds of past administrations to ruin Nigeria of any good that remains in it.

Who actually defends and speak for a thief, if he himself is not a thief. Beside the media debate over the pardon of Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, former governor of Bayelsa state, and the crazy excuse of “there’s no law against the granting of pardon to any criminal” the Presidential spokesmen have uttered, Nigerians need to query and look deeper into the bigger plans of these charlatans. I strongly believe that there’s more to this generous act of pardon than meets the eye

Though we must acknowledge that it’s a lawful act, but with what moral prism does President Jonathan justifies such act of pardoning a symbol of national disgrace who was arrested in Britain in 2005 on charges of laundering more than $3 million? He also jumped bail and flew to Nigeria where he was prosecuted, becoming the first ex-governor to be convicted of corruption. Report has it that he fled the UK to Nigeria disguised in a woman’s clothing.

What severe punishment has he undergone that the presidency says he has become remorseful? Alamieyeseigha was released in 2007, two days after receiving a two-year sentence, because he had already served two years in prison since his arrest.

Yes, we can’t stop President Jonathan from having a thief as a mentor and former boss, but he must be reminded that this country doesn’t belong to him and his family alone. Neither does it belong to the PDP. The state pardon granted Alamieyeseigha and other criminals shamefully reduce his hypocritical transformation agenda to a lousy joke. And not only that, it has also gone a long way in trivializing the previous war won against corruption in Nigeria. Now Nigeria’s shame isn’t limited to her geographical boundaries. Globally, we have lost the small reputation that we are yet to build, making us all look like a people of no value and collective morality.

The pardon Alamieyeseigha and his other corrupt allies now enjoy means that they can now run for political office come 2015. And that in every way is so very absurd! If we can’t clear away present corrupt office holders, why should we bring back their godfathers? Obviously, President Jonathan seems to be paying Alamieyeseigha for favours he has enjoyed in the past or for his personal and selfish 2015 ambitions. He certainly intends to achieve one thing or the order at the expense of over 160 million people.

In the words of Prominent Nigerian human rights lawyer Bamidele Aturu, he was quoted as saying “it is better to fling open the gates of all our prisons and ask all the inmates to walk out into the warm embrace of their relatives than pardon those who force otherwise decent Nigerians to take to crime as a way of life,”

My simple advice to President Jonathan is that he can as well declare Nigeria a lawless nation so we can bigheartedly pardon and give equality to all criminals. Because how many criminals in Nigerian prisons have stolen as much money as Alamieyeseigha?

I deeply think that the major prayer Nigeria needs at this point is to survive President Jonathan’s administration. The only fear is that no one can rightly ascertain that the worse of this administration has happened yet. We need not forget that we are being governed by a President who publicly made it known that he doesn’t give a damn.

I am @Lanre_olagunju

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD: Technology Versus Man By @Lanre_Olagunju

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Staff Reporter

Economic advancement has always been a function of being able to provide improved goods and services at a faster rate with fewer workers. And to a large extent, technology has been a vital tool for economic progression. It’s undeniable that technology has greatly improved how business is done. Unfortunately as well, technology has resulted into disregarding the need for monotonous task and the people who carry them out, leading to freeing-up of so many jobs. MacAfee once pointed out that “certain kinds of document examination once done by armies of lawyers—can now be done competently by scanning technologies and software.” This implies that not only labour intensive jobs are being threatened.

The influx of technology in production is gradually annulling the conventional believe that increase in production instantly results into job creation. And sadly, many of the lost jobs aren’t immediately replaced with enough newer and higher skilled jobs to make up for the loss. Isn’t the Luddite fear of machines replacing people gradually becoming a reality? American entrepreneur and software engineer, Marc Andreessen didn’t mince words when he said “Software is eating the world. Industry after industry is being disrupted by software, and if your industry hasn’t been transformed into a software business, you’d better start worrying now.”

Without any iota of doubt, technology, especially information technology has greatly helped in creating amazing opportunities which aren’t restricted to walls or boundaries. But studies have revealed that IT is basically favouring only 1% at the top of the pyramid while draining opportunities at the lower level most especially in the area of job creation. And come to think of it multi billion dollars information technology companies don’t essentially employ a large number of people. Twitter, with a financial worth of over $8 billion employs about 650 workers, Facebook with an estimated $3.7 billion in revenue and $1 billion profit in 2011 has only 3,000 employees.

Corporations benefit greatly basically because with modern technology they can operate leaner and then make more profits. “I had many occasions to work with the marketing reps, and the approach they used in selling anything to any customer was telling them that if they bought X number of their wonderful machines, they could lay off Y number of employees”A customer engineer with IBM for twenty-five years who specializes on installing and troubleshooting large mainframes IBM explained.

But it’s also very imperative to note that though the advent of new technology might destroy jobs initially, things will eventually balance up in the long term. The initially unemployed will later find jobs elsewhere; say in repair and maintenance of technological equipment.

On the other hand, we also should realize that success from thriving industries as a result of technological advancement would in many ways help the economy; consumers would be able to purchase goods at cheaper prizes, hence save more money, which would increase their demands and purchasing power for other products. Other industries would respond to this increase in demand by producing more, which automatically implies employing more workers. Also, the remaining few workers who didn’t lose their jobs would benefit from higher wages. And with higher profits, capitalists can now venture into other businesses where they’d naturally have to employ more workers. Almost everyone benefits in the long run. So in this sense, technology both eliminates and creates jobs. And this lends so much credence to the words of Robert Solow; Nobel Prize winning economist who said “it has been the norm throughout the course of history for technology to throw people out of work. But in the long run, employment keeps growing, and wages keep rising”

We obviously can’t stand on the way of technological revolution; therefore one way to curb the rise of unemployment as a result of technological advancement is to reinvent our educational system such that modern education can deal with the current unemployment issues surrounding modern realities.

To find relevance in the ever changing world of growing technology, it’s important that individuals reinvent themselves and be devoted to constant professional trainings and never ending improvements. Basically because jobs that require mentally creative analytic skills and high level problem solving ability can’t easily find technological replacements. The inability to think creatively and critically implies difficulty in getting or maintaining employment.

I am @Lanre_Olagunju

*This article was first published on www.AfricanLiberty.org

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD runs on www.omojuwa.com every Saturday.

Lanre Blogs @ www.larigold.blogspot.com

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD: Leadership Lessons from Martin Luther King Jr. By @Lanre_Olagunju

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Staff Reporter

nadia fouman miss university africa

Last Monday, the world again celebrated the Martin Luther king Jr. Day which is habitually celebrated every third Monday of January. As an eloquent preacher, Dr. King was the orator and leader of the non-aggressive civil rights movement of the 1960s. His I have a Dream speech has remained a phenomenal point of reference for leaders all over the world. Let’s draw some lessons from his speech and outstanding leadership approach.

Lesson #1 Great leaders don’t keep quiet on issues that matter.

When we keep quiet on important national or personal issues, we give permission to the oppressor. We deny ourselves the opportunity for freedom. Martin Luther King said “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” During the course of the week, a couple of social media giants in the country decided to raise the issue of dying one-thousand-five-hundred children of Bagega in Nigeria’s Zamfara State. Within a short time, the awareness went viral on social media.

These kids have been afflicted by Lead poison, and their life is in danger. Restoration and remediation of the environment has been unnecessarily delayed by the government. Speaking up for these kids brought the issue to the desk and minds of the government officials concerned. People were made to see the reality of losing these young ones if the prevailing deafening silence wasn’t crushed.

Lesson #2 Leaders know how to communicate their vision to the mind and heart of their followers.

Leadership in the real sense goes beyond just having a plan and knowing how to execute it. The work of a true leader lies in his ability to have a vision, share the vision, lay the path to achieve the vision, and then inspire others to follow the vision while he takes the lead role. Martin Luther King knows how to engage the heart of his followers. He does that by harnessing the use of stories and metaphor.

Lesson #3 Brave enough to reject the status quo and not be indifferent about it.

The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference, says Elie Wiesel. Refusing to be indifferent is a defining characteristic of great leaders. They are not passive people. They are reactive and sometimes proactive, depending on the circumstance. They always take a stand and they ventilate it openly without fear. “But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.” were the brave words of Martin Luther King.

Lesson #4 Fight your course on the high plane of dignity and discipline.

Good leaders know how to struggle out their course within the boundary of dignity, ethics and morality.. And this is one area where I so much respect Martin Luther King. It’s quite difficult to imagine how to lead so much people in a struggle against injustice and segregation and yet eschew violence “But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must ever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.” Martin Luther King said.

Lesson #5 Use picture words to articulate the desired end.

Another quality lesson from MLK is that he harnessed the power of what I call picture words. Words that make followers see beyond today’s struggle but the benefit of the struggle, and how posterity will be pleased with their actions. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today!”

Do have a nice weekend!

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD runs on www.omojuwa.com every Saturday.

Lanre Blogs @ www.larigold.blogspot.com

Tweets @Lanre_Olagunju on Twitter

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD: How Governmental Failures Add Up To Disasters By @Lanre_Olagunju

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Staff Reporter

When government decides to remain hopelessly insensitive to its duties, it results into unpopular but severe implications like citizens trying to find individual solutions to public problems. Nigerians do not expect much from the political class anymore and it shows in the unending quest to personally provide basic things that should have been provided by the government. In several ways, this has telling adverse effect not just on the economy but the environment as well.

WATER

One of the most basic psychological needs of man is the need to quench thirst, without the availability of a basic need like water, striving to live becomes difficult. When you consider that in the 21^st century, people still struggle for a necessity such as water, and that people actually still drink from the same river they defecate, wash and bath, it becomes absolutely impossible to consider if such people can ever strive for self-actualization.

Sadly, in a country of over 150 million people like Nigeria, only a meager 30% have access to portable water. Is it that government is not aware of the absence of portable water which remains a major pre-requisite for improved health care and sanitation? Moreover easy access to portable water practically helps in combating water borne diseases like cholera.

In the fashion of looking out for alternative means to provide basic amenities, a large percentage of property owners in Nigeria depend on underground water i.e. borehole, which they dig privately, as any attempt to ignore it is to deny occupants access to portable water.

As an hydrologist, I know that uncontrolled drilling of boreholes poses long term environmental threat like man-made earthquake and other environmental damages. It’s quite vital to consider that in places like Lagos and Abuja, people build on less than half a plot. And each individual wants to have a borehole in his residence. This results into excessive pumping of groundwater. And when large quantity of water is pumped out of the ground at a rate higher than it’s recharged, the ground, over time becomes hollow. After a while, the ground will compress and this might lead to collapse of building on such land, leading to loss of lives and property.

Going by the occurrence in countries with similar issues, it has been proven that when groundwater in any community is extensively and excessively withdrawn, after a long period of time, it results into lowering of the land surface, which is called subsidence. It was discovered that the earth lowered by 4.7 meters in Japan which badly affected many structures. As a result of this, Water Law was established to reduce the withdrawal of groundwater. Uncontrolled groundwater extraction via boreholes was responsible for recording similar occurrence in Su-Xi-Chang in China and also in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1994. In terms of contamination, a couple of people in northern Nigeria have lost their lives to drinking borehole water contaminated with Zinc poisoning.

Fortunately, this is a sector that can be revived if government surrenders it over to knowledgeable private investors.

POWER

To avert being in the dark due to the constant lack of electricity, individuals purchase generators, as there is hardly a household without at least one I beta pass my neighbour generator– a small sized generator commonly used to power low power-demanding gadgets . To remain relevant in business, big industries and corporations use mega generators to run business activities. And when many couldn’t break even, they had to move production to neighbouring countries with better power supply. But that aside, we can’t neglect the fact that the fumes from this alternative now turned regular source of power is actually toxic. The toxic waste from generators are contaminating the environment and in the wider sense, it’s reducing life expectancy by increasing chances for diseases like cancer amongst other deadly ailments.

LEGAL SYSTEM

When the judiciary fails or slows down justice, as a nation we’ve mastered to take the laws into our hands by lynching alleged criminals, just like the incident of #Aluu4 that shook Nigeria in October 2012. A case where four innocent undergraduates where gruesomely lynched and burnt alive for a crime they actually never committed.

TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Rather than ask for better roads with nice road networks or even demand that alternative means of transport like the modern train system be put in place, tired and frustrated citizens would rather buy Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) that can whether the bad roads with deep potholes wide enough to cook for an entire community. And you begin to wonder if increasing the number of SUVs on our bad roads would temper the economic gawkiness that lack of good transport system constitutes.

Without talking about security, one can actually go on and on. And sometimes you can’t but be tempted to ask that won’t the country be better off without the government which is only famously known for corruption, mismanagement and failing successfully at disbursing its basic responsibilities.

Nations only thrive when the government and citizens do that which is required for economic progress and development.

I am @Lanre_Olagunju

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD runs on www.omojuwa.com every Saturday.

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD: Of New Year Goals and Resolutions by @Lanre_Olagunju

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Staff Reporter

Thanks for reading this column ever since it started on this blog in May 2012. I also want to specially congratulate all my ardent followers and readers for making it into the New Year. You honestly should find some time to expressly ventilate an heartfelt thank-you to your guardian angel for a job well done. Most essentially when you consider that as a nation, 2012 was such a long year with several collections of disasters, gruesome killings and drama.

You might not necessarily be at a vantage point to dictate all the happenings of 2013, but to a great extent, you personally can still tell 2013 that which you want it to do and the role it should play in this chapter of the unconscious biography of yourself that you’re writing. Moreover, 2013 is still a very obedient child.

It’s actually a lot safer to pilot one’s life with clearly written goals than to depend on any autopilot of any sort. It becomes easier to persevere, remain focus and be persistent when goals are set and clearly written. Nothing boosts the self-confidence of a person striving to achieve a dream than the clearly written goals which clearly shows the end from the beginning. Goals help in mapping out sharp and intelligent problem solving strategies. Research conducted by sport psychologist reveals that world’s best athletes have concise and simple daily targets. They brilliantly understand how their daily targets connect with their long term goals.

I suggest that instead of a resolution which majorly focuses on things you actually struggled with in previous years, in 2013, do goals. Without any iota of doubt, you’d agree that many resolutions don’t live beyond the few days of the first month. And the adverse effect of this is that it makes you look incapacitated too early in the year, losing your self-confidence and self-esteem over your inability to stay true to them.

So why focus on what you don’t want to do when life has given you a plane slate where you can essentially write the things you want to see yourself do and achieve. In fact, research says that only 8 percent of those who actually make New Year resolutions truly keep them. I like the way the author of The Word For Today daily devotional puts it. “The key to breaking stubborn habits is not fighting them in your own strength. That only keeps your focus on the problem, intensifying its power. Changing your focus and submitting to God moment by moment is the key to winning, whether it’s a problem or a hang-up’”

It’s not just okay to come up with goals for the entire year in your head. As a matter of fact, it’s as good as a waste of time, definitely because they won’t live beyond the first few weeks of the year at best. When goals are written, they become so real, easy to interpret and easy to follow through. The case study of the three percent Harvard alumni who wrote down their goals at graduation, and thereafter thirty years, made more money than the 97 percent who did not; divulges that successful people write down their goals. No wonder the bible said “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that reads it.”

It’s also important that you remain flexible as you go despite your goals. This is important because things do not always go according to plan, circumstances beyond your control might crop up, giving way to the unexpected. At such times, flexibility will help in re-adjusting your goals to suit into the unforeseen situation. In the same light, life would throw opportunities you never planned at you, by being flexible, you’d be able to respond and make the best use of them.

Do have my best wishes in 2013!

I am @Lanre_Olagunju

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD runs on www.omojuwa.com every Saturday.

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD: To All Victims of Procrastination by @Lanre_Olagunju

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Staff Reporter

Killing time is not killing, it’s suicide—Myles Munroe.

As we reflect on the personal achievements of 2012 as it gradually rolls off, chances are that a couple of written goals were not achieved and that a couple of unrecorded goals were achieved. One way or the other, procrastination must have waddled its way into your goals for 2012, constituting an hindrance to some of the unachieved goals.

We all are unavoidably preys to procrastination, essentially because we live in a world governed by the principle of space-time, in which anything that must happen will have to take time. Yeah time is an asset, a very vital resource at that, which is vastly needed in converting dreams into reality. But in another sense, time is also a restriction to man, essentially because we as humans can only do much within a specific time frame and then defer and hope to do other things much later. Can you now see why I said we all are preys to procrastination?

Just like there are two sides to a story and also two sides to a coin. There are basically two sides to procrastination. Many writers and self-improvement consultants who write and talk about procrastination only talk about how bad it is, how it kills opportunities and ideas and why one must be cured of it. Nevertheless, I wonder if any of these motivational experts have been able to come up with a cure for procrastination.

I vehemently disagree that procrastination has nothing good about it, specifically because many of the impressive and ambitious achievers procrastinate intelligently by choosing to give priority to the most important task. On the other hand, non-effective people are chronic procrastinators who neglect or defer important tasks as a result of laziness and lack of focus. Yet, it would be stupid to argue that of all the many ways to avoid personal success, the most sure-fire way isn’t procrastination. I’ve discovered that lazy procrastinators who squander time are awkwardly optimistic people who think they would still perfect a task by delaying it commencement to the tip end of the deadline. Therefore, they make unrealistic statements like “I’m more creative and productive under pressure.” Or “I’ll do it tomorrow when I’ll certainly be in the mood”

When we procrastinate, it’s not really because we actually lack the ability to estimate time. So it’s not actually a problem of time management like many think. I like the way Dr. Joseph Ferrari, a world leading expert on procrastination, who is an associate professor of psychology at De Paul University in Chicago puts it when he explained that “Telling someone who procrastinates to buy a weekly planner is like telling someone with chronic depression to just cheer up,” That’s actually not the case. One of the reasons why many indulge in procrastination is that they lack the ability to overcome the inertia to get to work. And from my personal experience as a writer who has to churn out at least two articles every week, I’ve realized that the bigger the task, the harder it is to get yourself to work. But once you overcome that resistance, it becomes a lot easier to follow it through.

Another reason why people procrastinate when there is a big project at hand is fear of failure or do I call it fear of wasting time in case the project fails. They erroneously think that would automatically amount to waste of the time spent. Like one of my brilliant teachers will say, “failing after trying your hands on a mathematical problem would have shown you ways of how not to solve that problem”. And in fact, working on big projects always leads to somewhere whether the desired result is achieved or not.

One more form of procrastination which is quite deadly is the one some experts refer to as “unacknowledged-procrastination”. They call it unacknowledged because you might not realize that you’re deferring major task basically because you’re getting other things done, most times things that aren’t necessarily related to your major task. There are times when I need to write an article and I lazily spend so much time surfing the internet all in the name of research. At other times, I find myself replying emails or returning text messages. Or you just find the need to clean up the house, visit a friend or take the dog on a walk, so you can avoid doing the main thing.

I ask myself this question and most times it helps “What’s the best thing you could be working on at the moment, and why aren’t you? This should be the most vital question any ambitious person should be asking in 2013. And the amazing thing is that once you ask yourself this question and you follow the sincere answer that presents itself in your head, you will not need to bother about procrastination anymore.

As I close, there’s a positive side to one’s ability to intelligently defer some tasks. For Instance, when you get inspiration or ideas on a particular project and you know that it’d pay off to set other important things aside, it’s wise that you give attention to this fresh idea which would in-turn, eventually increase your net productivity.

Happy Holidays!

I am @Lanre_Olagunju

Blog @ www.larigold.blogspot.com

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD runs on www.omojuwa.com every Saturday.

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD: COMPENSATING TERRORISTS… WHO DOES THAT?! BY @LANRE_OLAGUNJU

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Staff Reporter

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It’s a sign of weakness to think that insecurity issues can be solved via a quick fix approach, it might be necessary that as a people, we relax, take a deep breath, and with the eye of shame begin to consider ourselves as a nation that dialogues with terrorists and compensates them so as to buy peace and security. If terrorists kill and cause anarchy for unthinkable demands, then what do you call those who plan to pay or negotiate with them? Evidently, Goodluck Jonathan’s administration is the worst thing that has happened to our fragile democracy.

President Goodluck Jonathan once told the entire world of the presence of Boko-Haram in his government and one would have assumed that some deep and secret intelligence work is going underground to check that out so as to install long lasting security to the nation. Compensating the Islamic Sect marks the end to all possible investigations and automatically rights the wrongs of their sponsors. We need not forget that Kabir Sokoto, the Christmas Day bomber of St Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State was caught in the Governor of Borno’s lodge and that a police commissioner, Zakari Biu, apparently played a significant role in aiding Sokoto’s escape. What of Senator Ndume, who is standing trial for aiding and abetting Boko Haram? Once compensation plan is settled, then, we need not ask further questions from Alhaji Lawal Kaita, a northern leader who in October 2010 said Nigeria will be ungovernable if the president did not come from the North.

It’s somewhat alarming that the dreaded Islamic sect is now willing to dialogue and negotiate, that raises a whole lot of questions. We need to note that they once gave conditions for peace in February 2011, where they actually demanded that Ali Modu Sheriff, (The same former governor of Borno State whose arrest they are now demanding as a term for negotiation) steps down with immediate effect and permit members reclaim their mosque in Maiduguri. Only for them to reject the offer for amnesty in May 2011 presented by the present governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima

Is it that they have achieved their aim or that their masters have had enough blood shed? Or is it that they are out of cash and resources to finance their goals, hence they intend to pull a fast one on the weak and tactless federal government. What beats my imagination is the amount of enthusiasm with which the Federal Government welcomed the silly offer and the amazing willingness to start drawing criteria for payments. It affirms that President Jonathan has only been fooling Nigerians with his “our administration is doing everything possible to ensure that the perpetrators of this dastardly act are brought to justice” speech which he doesn’t seem tired of giving after any bomb attack. Or could this possibly be his own definition of the justice he has been clamoring about?! Yes we all want peace to reign, but any cheap approach to getting it is not just it, because the fruits of such stupidity will ripen in few years, fully introducing anarchy and lawlessness in the country. We should expect that in no time several other groups will spring up.

The fact that dialogue and amnesty worked out with the Niger Delta militants who had clear demands is no guarantee that it would work out with Boko Haram who is fighting against western education alongside planning to Islamise the entire nation.

Dialoguing with them and paying them compensation simply implies that the Federal government who is saddled with the responsibility to protect lives and property has been cowed by some individuals. Where on earth is it heard that terrorists are compensated for killing innocent souls? What a shame! Reaching agreement with them will probably only lead to suspending their activities. They are terrorists, trained to commit suicide just like they have done on several occasions. Are we expecting that they will suddenly just become repentant? It didn’t happen like that with Maistasine!

The origin of terrorism in Nigeria can be widely traced to Maistasine, a religious sect founded by one late Malam Muhammadu Marwa alias Allah Ta-Tsine or Maitatsine, the group had same objectives with boko haram in the 80s. The ideology of the sect was to oppose modernization and Western influence, the first Maitasine violence in Kano claimed 4,177 lives. General Muhammed Buhari’s administration fought and wiped off the Maitasine sect and this makes it understandable why General Buhari has refused to take up the role of mediator as the Boko Haram sect has demanded, stating that he would not have anything to do with the talks. “I do not know any member of the Boko Haram sect. I do not believe and I do not know of any religion that will go and kill people, burn schools” Gen. Buhari clearly stated. President Goodluck Jonathan should be warned that negotiating implies that the Federal Government has lost total control of the country’s security.

Over N900billion was earmarked for security in the 2012 Budget alone, basically because of insecurity. The federal government according to The Financial Times has spent $1 billion on the amnesty program of the Niger delta ex-militants since inception. I think it’s time the government started working towards social security for the unemployed as long as the government remains incapable of creating employment and an environment that accommodates and encourages entrepreneurship.

Follow @Lanre_Olagunju on Twitter.

Blogs @ www.larigold.blogspot.com

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD runs on www.omojuwa.com every Saturday.

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