TalkingB

Tag: Development

  • The Sustainability of The Nigeria Lockdown.

    The Sustainability of The Nigeria Lockdown.

    Nigeria like many other African countries always like to take a cue from their European counterparts forgetting about the practicability of the model employed.

    The Chinese government, on the one hand, deployed the lockdown method to curb the spread of COVID-19 although draconian in the implementation which yielded the desired result. The Europeans, on the other hand, assessed their environment and culture and came up with the concept of social distancing as that’s the most suitable in an European western configuration.

    The government envisaged and identified the negative social-economic, and financial impact of the stay at home order and then rolled out palliatives in form of financial relief to cushion the effect of the financial strain on an average family during this precarious and perilous times. The government understands that mental health could deteriorate and begin to sink into mediocrity as human beings are considered social animals, they set up phone lines where people can reach out should the need arises to speak with a psychologist.

    When I heard Nigeria adopted this formula I quickly embarked on some irresponsible rhetorics regarding the workability then I re-evaluated the scenario and concluded that we’re headed in the wrong trajectory.

    Firstly, the vast majority of the populace live in extreme poverty thereby making an average housing look like a luxury. This vast demography settle in a nucleated, congested, and unhealthy environment where social distancing measures is seemingly impracticable.

    Secondly, a large chunk of the population live hand to mouth meaning they can only feed if they work on a daily basis. The lack of database which has been the major drawback of our economic development has made it impossible to roll out financial relief adequately. Trouble and anarchy looms as people have started flouting the lockdown order, these individuals do not have a choice as they’ve been left with their faith, the basic needs like electricity, social security, employment opportunities, infrastructures, etc are absent and in some cases non-existent.

    I do not understand a government that would implement a lockdown and not have a robust plan for the most susceptible individuals like a Door- to – Door feeding strategy and the provision of basic amenities. Sadly, in a nation like Nigeria, a copy and paste strategy like the case of their European counterparts cannot work as the financial and economic impact is more likely to kill than the virus itself. It’s about time they went back to the drawing board.

    By Akintayo J. Akingbade

    Email : Akintayoakingbade@gmail.com

  • Let our trees live!

    Let our trees live!

    Trees are one of the most important parts of the forest ecology, they are known to be part of the world’s most efficient repository of carbon monoxide.  The greenhouse gas known for the increase in the planet’s temperature and the source of climate change. When a tree is fell, it’s canopy which blocks the sun rays during the day and retains heat at night can no longer serve its purpose.

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  • THE ROLES OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN CLIMATE CHANGE

    THE ROLES OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN CLIMATE CHANGE

    Developing countries in the present world map primarily consist of most African countries (if not all) and some part of Asia. Unfortunately, a likely synonym for most of these countries is the phrase “praying countries”. Climate change is no longer in theory as its impacts and effects are becoming more vivid at an alarming rate across the planet earth.

    As expected, it is the developed countries clamoring the most, about the looming dangers around global warming and its ripple effects. Although, the causes of the rapidity of this unwanted change was propagated majorly by the developed countries that emitted greenhouse gases with no obstruction from the Industrial Revolution which led them to gain wealth and power. Nevertheless, their leaders, researchers, and scientists are coming up with several approaches to minimize, manage and possibly control the expected havoc by putting several control measures in place which include investing millions in the developing countries. But, are the developing countries putting the same tenacity into the few forms of resistance there is to put up?

    Climate change is a faceless looming hazard against humanity threatening the flourish of agriculture, health, economy, peace, energy infrastructure and transportation to mention but a few. Its influence includes a persistent rise in sea level, frequent drought, heavy rainfall, heavy flood, heavy snowfall, ocean acidification, expansion of deserts, heat waves, and wildfires. Considering the limitations and challenges already facing most of the developing countries, it becomes exponentially inherent for them to take up their role zealously in combating the aggressive army of Mother Nature.

    In every situation in life, information is paramount. Therefore, sensitizing people about the reality of climate change, its effect, what to expect and reiterating on the measures to reduce the expected calamity is vital. Being conscious of the fact that, telling people what to do hardly yield result without making them understand why they should do it, thus afforestation and refraining from deforestation can be encouraged, adaptation to the extreme weather and development of crops that are more resistant, long term preservative measure of farm produce to prevent looming famine, strict conformation to the building laws and avoiding building close to the water bodies to minimize dislocation and loss of shelters, keeping abreast of updated information from the  meteorologists and climatologists, aiding the visions of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the best capacity humanly possible and facilitating Responsible consumption and recycling.

    World Health Organization (WHO) already estimated the additional deaths per annum from malnutrition, health-related problem and heat stress to be approximately 250,000 due to climate change. While, in eleven years from now, about 122,000,000 people could be forced into extreme poverty based on the estimate of The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Several predictions have been made based on facts, reality, and researches yet, inaction is not an option, developing countries need to rise up to the challenges and save humanity.

  • Get out of your nest and fly

    Get out of your nest and fly

    When she turned 18, it was in a foreign country far away from home. Her roommate,  Jane(confidentiality clause) was the first person to wish her a happy birthday but followed it with this sentence  « It is time to come out of your shell and start living »

    As a child, she was quite tall and had an affirmative stature. She was bigger and taller than all her playmates, She didn’t like that at all. She didn’t feel pretty and believed the petite girls were the most beautiful and everyone admired them. She was a shy kid and always wanted to hide. You know those type of students who will never talk in class or give their opinion, she wanted to disappear and be alone.

    Nevertheless, as she grew up  she grew out of her nest and learnt to fly,  but she soon realized that almost everyone she knew lived with a particular insecurity about themselves

    « If only my butt can be smaller,   I have a big nose, My boobs are too big, I am too fat, If only I could gain 10 kilos and have more flesh then my life will be better, I am too dark and people laugh at me, I turn red when I speak and I always hate myself,  I have sweaty palms and people are scared of coming close to me, I am short so I have to dress to impress in order to get noticed. »

    The truth is that we let people say so many kinds of stuff to us because they are things we also believed to be true about ourselves. For her, she kept them in her heart, she remembered them on her bed, her pillow was always soaked in her tears, her heart was often broken at the end of each day, yes she let it and you too, you are letting them.

    But then, She had to focus on something else, it was her studies, it was the perfect rebound of all negativity. She was reading and all she wanted was succeed, but this didn’t take the lack of self-confidence away.

    Her miracle started when she began to know herself, she started writing all she thought to God and this changed her life. It made her have a good relationship with herself, her pains, her thoughts, her strengths, her weakness was inscribed in that book where she wrote to the Almighty. She even wrote about those that hurt her. She gradually learnt to appreciate her person and her morphology, to forgive those that called her names and most importantly she gained her inner strength and confidence. She keened on to the word that she is wonderfully and carefully made.

    In life, we cannot all be the same, we are unique and all have our areas of greater capabilities. You are a masterpiece when you believe in yourself, others will see it and respect you. Confidence is not just an aspiration, it should be a way of life. At some point, we all have to get out of our shell and fly because we spend the most time with ourselves and therefore we cannot run away, decide to build yourself up.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkvGTht2xTY

  • Education Malpractice

    Education Malpractice

    The breach of professional expertise in our education system leads to raising incompetent students and future professionals. Examination malpractice has done more harm than good, many students are weak educationally because their academic process has been built on a faulty ladder. Malpractice effects in mismanagement, misconduct in pupils and even negligence in legal means of achieving success.

    Recently, in the United States celebrities, coaches and other influential people have been charged with corruption and bribery. The scandal which has been a major topic is related to wealthy parents aiding their children to get into the best universities in the country. In some of the cases, the children are unaware of these dealings. One will ask whether parents assisted their children in order to maintain their personal social status or is it just a means of helping their wards secure a promising future?

    The fraud conspiracy involved a huge amount transferred to a particular Mr. Willian Singer who allegedly received more than 25 million dollars from March 2011 till the moment he was charged in February 2019. One of the arrangements is that he categorized the students as athletes. In the United States, sports is a big deal as it brings in finances to the universities which is why the academic requirements are often reduced to bring in potential talent. The most outrageous involved classifying the students as disadvantaged or having some learning disabilities to grant them extra time and provide them special conditions.

    This was alarming and went over the news and media houses in the United States. Some of the celebrities were charged and stripped of their contracts, sponsorships, and deals. The case is still open and serious investigations are ongoing. Civil society termed the scandal as unbelievable, immoral acts, impossible, injustice, etc…

    Unfortunately, in most parts of Africa, this is not the case. Education malpractice and corruption are cultural and consistently a means of living. It is more like « you use what you have to get what you want » mentality. Cheating, though an illegal act, is common and many students get good grades by cutting corners. It is just as politicians rig elections to get into offices so do students cheat and partake in all sorts of misconduct to achieve success as they climb the educational ladder.  Why is the cost of success this expensive even when it entails moral misconduct?

    In the case of William Singer, he supposedly dealt with an important sum of money and relatively the wealthiest parents while, in the developing countries, even the middle-class parents and sometimes the impoverish ones involve themselves in educational malpractice. It is a societal mindset including depicting identities, illegal conspiracy and aiding and smuggling of question papers and answers in and out of the exam halls.

    Like we say, it is easier to blame the government for bad policies in Africa but, if each person makes a conscious decision to be honest in their dealings, the continent will be transformed. Education should focus more on creating skills and giving practical experiences rather than aiming for a certificate. To what extent is having a certificate or degree that one cannot defend?

     

    References:

    1. BBC World News 
    2. International Journal of Managerial Studies and Research
  • CHINA AS THE NEXT SUPERPOWER

    CHINA AS THE NEXT SUPERPOWER

    Alice Lyman Miller, a China scholar and a former CIA analyst define “A ‘superpower’ as a country that has the capacity to project dominating power and influence anywhere in the world, and sometimes, in more than one region of the globe at a time, and so may plausibly attain the status of global hegemony,” This requires excelling in multiple areas of power projection: economic, military, political and even cultural . In all standards, the United States only wear the cap appropriately since it overtook Great Britain as the world’s dominant country.

    Over the years, there have been several potential superpowers emerging with promising prospects among which the European Union and the BRICS involving Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are recognized. These countries gain the individual international recognition they deserve, garnished with merited accolades in remaining relevant.

    China has proved itself to be a formidable potential global force, with an outsize influence in shaping the 21st century but whether it overtakes the U.S. is still a mystery though it seems likely. They have been able to transform a poor society by an economic miracle to become arguably the world’s second-largest economy in the world.

    In the last 15 years, China has been involved in a breathtaking and questionable lending, this goes far beyond it’s geographical regions to the depth of Africa. It is important to note that over 100 predominantly low-income countries have gotten Chinese loans in order to finance their infrastructure projects and sometimes expand their producing capacity.

    For instance, Sri Lanka experienced a boom in their economy due to a loan they had gotten from China, the country prospered in all ways and manners but this was short-lived because when the payback time came, the Sri Lanka government realized they have way too much debt. As a result, they ended up renegotiating more deals with the Chinese government which involves a 99-year lease deal handling over control of it’s investments to the Chinese government, one of which is the port of Hambantota.

    Another case, the Kilamba City in Angola is a large housing development which was built by the China International Trust and Investment Corporation and Investment Corporation with the aim of housing up to half a million people but the aftermath of this project was non-profitable as it was too expensive for the middle-class citizen. Nonetheless, the government had already signed a long term deal with their natural resources for the reimbursement of their debts to the  Chinese government.

    With over 10,000 Chinese-owned firms operating in Africa,¹ we must admit that the Chinese are doing quite well in being the next superpower but the motives are quite unclear essentially because, in some of the countries where they build infrastructural projects, they fly in their laborers taking away job opportunities from the population.

    One is forced to ask what are the inherent motives to the Chinese lending, especially to these growing economies? What are the futuristic drawbacks of being indebted to Beijing? Is this the modern day colonialism? What are their diplomatic strategies? 

    China continues to make a mark on the world as they have the largest troop in the United Nations peacekeeping missions, pays more than 10 percent of the UN’s total budget above any country besides the United States. They have shown enormous interest in developing an edge in new technologies such as hypersonic missiles, cyber and artificial intelligence.

    Obviously, China is not folding its arms for an opportunity to be presented to them on a platter of gold and have worked ceaselessly for every achievements and success they have made over the years. Nevertheless, there is more than meets the eyes.

    References:

    1. McKinsey&Company report 
  • The Faults in Africa Education System

    The Faults in Africa Education System

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    The education system in Africa, contrary to the belief of many, existed a long time possibly taking its origin from Ancient Egypt. The Schools of Holy Scriptures built in Egypt (former Ethiopia and Al-Azhar) were the first form of higher education. These schools became cultural and academic centers attracting people from all over the globe for knowledge and instruction. Meanwhile, the world’s first university was located in Timbuktu, opened in 2600 BC.

    The indigenous knowledge system was based on traditions in which communities effectively taught and learned from themselves through daily life rather than strict education. They used modeling approaches to pass the necessary skills to younger members of the community.

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  • Thoughts on The Democratic Republic of Congo’s presidential elections: A leap of faith?

    Despite trusting instincts that always failed for so long, people are still patriotic enough to perform their civil right with the speck of hope that this time it would not fail them. Politicians everywhere are known for campaigning, speaking, debating and sometimes, responding to direct questions from the masses. The public is often convinced that majority trust and some dismay. Instincts are good signs but most times misleading.

    Image by ronen barany

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