The reality here is that changes in today’s global market make career or vocational schools attractive.
Even though Nigeria is a developing country, we are still impacted by globalisation based on some of the characteristics of our economy or preferably our socio-economic status.
The need for career schools has been underlined
As we know, globalisation creates greater opportunities for firms and organisations in less industrialised countries to tap into more and larger markets around the world. Being an active participant in the global market also allows those of us in less industrialised countries to become part of international production networks and supply chains that are the main conduits of trade. This will and can happen quicker by providing educational platforms that are not only theory based but hands –on as well.
In the past we were taught to think globally and act locally – In this new era, this 21st century, the reality is that we think and act globally. The fact is that, we are no longer locked into the placed-based model of schooling, so we have no need to follow the same old rules. Instead of adhering to only four-by-four plan or 6-3-3-4 plan (which ends in four years of college), the new breed of global students are getting a “raging” education on campus, online, on the road, and on their terms and timelines. Not only are they not obsessing about the names of their alma mater, they are figuring out how to blend a perfect brew of education options that will allow them to glide into the global economy.
It should be noted that I’m not opposed to a four-year degree; instead, I’m simply making a strong case for an option that many people overlook when deciding what to do after high school. The fact is that there are pros and cons to both career colleges and traditional colleges. A traditional college education provides students with a broader knowledge base and does not typically involve a lot of hands on or practical education. Instead it focuses on the theories of subjects. Because of this, graduates often find themselves unemployed after school because jobs are going to those who already have experience and specific training.
In developing countries like Nigeria, it is imperative that we adopt the necessity of having career schools and making it accessible to students who prefer it.
The fact that a career school offers hands on training, job experience through internship and a good education at a much lower cost is a major benefit of receiving degrees from career colleges or schools. Applicable consideration should be given to this educational platform, because students can often find a career school in their area that offers classes in the fields that they are considering working or gaining a profession. Because of this, the exorbitant costs of rooms and boards often associated with traditional universities can be avoided, unless, of course, the school also caters to non-local students. In addition, admission is usually more open in career schools. This means that those who could not get into traditional schools can still have access to a good education and the tools that are necessary to acquire a fulfilling and successful career.
It is the goal of career schools to ensure that the curricula are focused on a specific field and as students get further along in the process, classes focus on the actual duties they will perform when they begin working in the real world. This removes the scary disconnect that often exists between what a student at a four year school is trained to do and what they are actually expected to do when they hit the ground at a new job, assuming they can get one right out of college.
Another benefit of a focused education is the fact that graduate students can join the workforce faster than they would be able to manage at a four year school. That means that they have more time in their professional lives to establish themselves as experts in their fields.
Many would argue that the starting salaries for graduates of career colleges are less than what a graduate with a bachelor’s degree might expect. While this is true in some cases, in other cases such as in technical industries, this could not be further from the truth.
In short, there are benefits and drawbacks to both kinds of education, and a student’s choice usually reflects their overall life goals and ambitions. An associate degree or diploma from a good career college or school is an asset and a good investment. I believe that educational entities, government and private sectors would want to ensure that the quality of education offered by career colleges and schools is every bit as good as that which is offered by traditional four year universities.
Even though, the global market is starting to shift to competency-based educational platforms, the fact still remains that for a lot of people, going to a four-year college seems like an automatic choice when they graduate from high school, not a choice based on the natural abilities of the students nor results from assessment tests based on natural mental capacity and desired future goals. Some of the reasons include higher income, family norm, and general expectation. The myth here is that a bachelor’s degree accounted for an average of $14,600 (using the US Dollars as a test case) in additional income per year compared to a high school diploma or career school diploma. The fact is that, this is not true any longer and it does not apply to all disciplines.
A graduate that works in a bank is likely to earn less than a high school student who attended a 12-24 months (one-two year) course in a course like process technology. Also due to the increasingly high costs associated with a college education and other draw backs, it is highly important that government and or private sectors consider providing students with alternative educational options such as trade or career schools.
Beside the expenses attached to four year college (vs. the amount attached to a career school), the length of schooling, drop out and late graduation rates, and the poor condition of educational curricula, job prospects for new graduates may not be as bright as they had expected. Although some college majors are faring better than others when it comes to labour market outcomes, over the past decade, graduates have faced sluggish labour markets, young graduates are faced with limited job opportunities and difficulty paying off incurred educational expenses. College degrees are a career investment that require a considerable amount of both time and money, and the portion of graduates who are unable to find desirable employment (or employment at all!) are seeing negative returns. That is one of the major problem plaguing developing countries like ours.
Certainly, it is true and important that we rapidly grow our technology base in general, and technology is certainly a way to emancipate our people and country economically, but that does not mean we should increase the number of years that the students will use to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge, particularly in today’s fast-paced global market. What I propose we do is to provide state of the art resources, equipment and highly competent instructors that will provide hands on training for the student in focused areas, so that upon completing at least a 12-24 months course in specific field, not only will they be able to apply their didactic knowledge, but they will also be able to learn their hands on career on a daily basis. This will also prepare them for the work force and create little to no additional hands on training at work, except for the company’s onboarding process and orientation.
I believe that Nigeria should certainly become the catalyst for economic emancipation for other continents, however, I will say that what is needed at this point again, is not the number of years used in being schooled, particularly in technology, rather it is the engineering of a competency based educational platform, that will create a quick and sustainable socio-economic growth in Nigeria.
Again, it should be noted that I’m not opposed to a four-year degree; instead, I’m simply making a strong case for an option that many people overlook when deciding what to do after high school. And also asking government parties and non-governmental parties to consider the importance of competency based education as a resource that will become one of the marquis of educational platforms in the nearest future.
The fact still remains that it’s not everyone that will attend a four year college or that may even have the mental health, capacity, learning style and skill set for a four-year college, but everyone is capable and can learn. For our citizens that are hands-on learner, the excitement of getting out of the classroom and starting to work immediately after high school or completion of their vocation, keeps them engaged and foster a higher completion rate in the schools.
Going back to the basics; in most developing countries, like ours, Nigeria; and considering the economic status, fewer and fewer children graduate from secondary school and many don’t even finish primary school, these are a sure indication that the educational system needs to be reformed and revolutionised at the same time.
In Part 2, we will focus on: “The Necessity of Educational Flexibility.”
By Laide R. Alexander (Houston, Texas, United States of America)
The Second National Biosafety Conference in Nigeria scheduled to hold between 10th and 11th November, 2016 in Abuja, the federal capital city, will address the twin objectives of food security and economic growth.
Dr Rufus Ebegba, Director-General and CEO of the the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA). Photo credit: climatereporters.com
Organised by the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) in collaboration of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), the theme of this year’s conference is “Biosafety, Food Security and Economic Development in Nigeria”.
The National Biosafety Management Agency Act 2015 is the law that established NBMA to, among other things, be charged with the responsibility for providing regulatory framework, institutional and administrative mechanism for safety measures in the application of modern biotechnology in Nigeria.
The law is to operate in accordance with established International laws, procedures and rules that govern the global adoption of the genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for the benefits of farmers, without adverse effects on human health and the environment.
The occasion is expected to be attended by Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, who will serve as the Special Guest of Honour and Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, who will be the Keynote Speaker. Director-General of RMRDC, Hussaini Ibrahim, and that of NBMA, Rufus Ebegba, will be Chief Host and Convener respectively.
The objectives of the conference, according to Dr Ebegba, in an interview, are “to enlighten stakeholders on the National Biosafety Act and the National Biosafety Management Agency’s mandate; bring regulators and scientist together for information sharing on the role of NBMA with the national mandate to regulate modern biotechnology and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Nigeria; to develop and maintain professional standards in the field of biosafety with a view of developing national academic biosafety curriculum.”
According to him, “other objectives are to advance biosafety as a scientific discipline through education and public awareness; to provide stakeholder sustained opportunities for biosafety communication, education and participation in the development of standards, guidelines and regulations; to expand Biosafety awareness and promoting safety at work place in order to reduce the potential for occupational illness and adverse environmental impact; to enlighten the media on the need to disseminate right information to the members of the public, on issues of Biosafety and GMOs for the general public not to be ill informed and to educate scientists on the need for responsible modern biotechnology engagement.”
Ebegba stressed that, in order to achieve the two-day conference objectives, which also serves as information sharing platform, a combination of key note address and plenary sessions would be employed through power point presentations.
The NBMA DG further said that stakeholders on GMO regulations would share information together and the media and scientists would be enlightened through different topics in Biosafety. “There is the veritable need for collaboration between regulators, researchers and international partners on the issue of biosafety capacity building for national development and building trust in the technology. Also, there is the need for professional standards in the field of biosafety with a view to develop national academic biosafety curriculum,” he said.
The expected outcomes of the conference will include but not limited to strengthened awareness and information sharing through conference; increased collaboration for national development through proper science based biosafety regulation; enlightened media on the need to disseminate right information to the members of the public, on issues of Biosafety and Genetically Modified Organisms for the general public not to be ill-informed and desired Biosafety curriculum.
While the NBMA Act of 2015 is the only safety valve in the adoption of modern biotechnology, the deployment and use of GMOs for national economic development in Nigeria, Ebegba added that the Act mandates the Agency to provide a regulatory framework, which include institutional and administrative mechanisms that would adequately safe guard human health and the environment while harnessing the potentials of the technology for the benefit of Nigerians.
Hajara Yusuf, Institutional Biosafety Officer with the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), explained that “NiBSA was inaugurated in 2010 as a response to global calls to institute biological safety measures to prevent unethical use of genetically modified organisms and other bio-threats. The NiBSA is a professional association, which aims to congregate practitioners to promote and facilitate the sharing of biosafety information in Nigeria.”
The growing world population is a major challenge that has led to increased demand for food, feed, fibre and fuel. It has also led to loss of agricultural land, shortage of water for irrigation, climate change, increasing demand for renewable fuels, reduced agro-biodiversity and loss of natural habitats and biodiversity.
As a result, Ebegba said, “The application of modern biotechnology under a legal framework can be a valuable tool for addressing the several challenges arising from national population growth and giving consumers in Nigeria the sense of choice and availability of quality modern biotechnology products under a sustainable environment.
“Responsible and safe practice of modern biotechnology under a legal biosafety regime has become a hallmark of economic drive globally and Nigeria as a nation should take advantage of the safe aspects of the technology. The Act now paves the way for Institutions to carry out modern biotechnology innovation,” Ebegba concluded.
Recently, a very misleading press statement was released. The heading was titled “GMO foods: FG may shut Shoprite, Next superstores”. The opening paragraph read as follows:
A Shoprite outlet, one of the outfits involved in the GMO foods regulation controversy
“The Federal Government, through its National Biosafety Management Agency, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to retail store giants, Shoprite and Next Cash ‘N’ Carry to withdraw any product that contains Genetically Modified Organisms from their shelves or risk a total shutdown.”
It ended with the paragraph below:
“The NBMA boss added, ‘Please, it is an advice and this advice is not without a legal backing. So we urge you to withdraw all GMO foods from your shelves and formalise your dealings by obtaining permits’.”
Clearly, it is not about regulating or testing the safety of these GMO products, NBMA’s gripe is that these companies need to come and get licenses from them. At this point one must wonder where NAFDAC fits in all this.
In the past two years and with each passing day, it has become clear that the federal government is hell bent on shoving GMO foods down our throats whether we like it or not. This decision has been taken despite five million Nigerians petitioning the federal government through NBMA to stop the release of Monsanto’s GMO cotton and Corn in to our food system.
The so-called regulatory agency acts as a promoter for GMO foods, without carrying out independent animal or human trials on these foods. They are so eager to have us eating GMOs despite the Health, environmental and economic detriments to our balance of trade and exports.
Despite the fact that, even after 20 years, these foods are still steeped in controversy and six of the eight G8 countries have bans on cultivation and human consumption of these foods.
Despite the most recent investigative report published on the 29/10/16 by the New York times titled “Uncertain Harvest: Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops” concludes that, genetic modification in the United States and Canada has not accelerated increases in crop yields or led to an overall reduction in the use of chemical pesticides. I quote from the article below:
“The promise of genetic modification was twofold: By making crops immune to the effects of weed killers and inherently resistant to many pests, they would grow so robustly that they would become indispensable to feeding the world’s growing population, while also requiring fewer applications of sprayed pesticides.
Twenty years ago, Europe largely rejected genetic modification at the same time the United States and Canada were embracing it. Comparing results on the two continents, using independent data as well as academic and industry research, shows how the technology has fallen short of the promise.
An analysis by The Times using United Nations data showed that the United States and Canada have gained no discernible advantage in yields – food per acre – when measured against Western Europe, a region with comparably modernised agricultural producers like France and Germany.
Also, a recent National Academy of Sciences report found that ‘there was little evidence’ that the introduction of genetically modified crops in the United States had led to yield gains beyond those seen in conventional crops.”
Despite evidence of potential contamination of natural varieties by wind drift as well as the fact that Organic food has a retail value four times the value of GMO food with a huge global demand (A potential high source of forex). Neither has the fact that we would be shutting ourselves out of our biggest export market (Europe). Incidentally GMO producers such as the USA and CHINA are net exporters of food but net importers of Organic food.
Neither does the dependency on foreign nations and Bio-tech companies to supply us seeds that do not self-proliferate attached to patent claims making our farmers dependent on foreign seeds and expensive inputs every year to plant food.
Despite Japanese partnerships in Agriculture all over Africa, our Government is not interested in pursuing or partnering to learn and promote healthy organic agriculture that the industrial giant (Japan) is famous for.
Despite our president’s multiple trips to Germany, looking in to the methods by which Germany has created high yield agriculture in a sustainable and healthy way is a direction our government seems determined to look away from.
Despite the failures of GMO cotton in Burkina Faso and the expulsion of Monsanto from India (due to the high prices of using GMO seeds and inputs creating huge financial burdens on farmers), our government marches forward nonetheless.
Despite our lack of a robust, integrity filled regulatory Infrastructure, Our government tells us that they will ensure roasted corn on the road side is labelled as GMOs, and the tin cans Nigerians buy their beans in is labelled GMO beans, the bag of Ogi you buy in the market would also be labelled GMO…. We are supposed to believe this. A nation that is yet to achieve safe standards of beans for export to the European Union, an issue that would have been unheard of locally if Europe had not banned the importation of our beans because, guess what, you and I don’t matter; poisoned beans is good for you, it’s only an issue when we need to export. This is the regulatory system we are going to further burden and trust.
A Nigerian scientist (Samson prolific on twitter), is domesticating aeroponics in Nigeria, a process by which you can grow foods without soil (eliminating the need for weed control), there are videos of the young scientist harvesting yams from the air, there are farms practising agro-ecology, permaculture. Farmers are yet to get involved with integrated pest management systems (using beneficial insects instead of chemicals to control pest) as well as automated weed removal technology, sustainable boogies that use pneumatic (air) pressure to remove weeds. None of these deter our government from setting us on the GMO path despite the fact that these crops once released pollute our entire gene pool and cannot be recalled.
Since our government have barely educated the people about GMOs and its real cause for concern, instead has chosen to proceed full steam ahead with test and GMO licensing, I kindly ask our federal government and GMO overlords to kindly look favourably upon setting up a National Organic Promotion, Protection & Certification Council. The mandate of this body would be to:
Test for the contamination of natural varieties
Ensure sufficient distance is maintained to prevent contamination of our natural varieties
Help local farmers litigate against contamination of their foods
Educate farmers on best natural/organic practices
Help farmers meet export standards and key in to the huge global demand for organic foods
Certify foods to be Organic.
Engage independent scientist to conduct trials on foods and their effect on Human and animal health
We also need an independent GMO labelling agency. The NBMA is overflowing with conflict of interest. Rather than safe guard the Nigerian people’s health and interest, it would seem that they have been mandated to be GMO promoters. The labelling agency should be under the purview of the consumer protection agency. With these in place, just maybe the will of the people would not be completely trampled upon by what is shaping out to be, in this regard at least, a tyrannical government.
Greater investment in greener, more sustainable transport systems is essential for propelling the economic and social development that is essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to an expert panel report delivered to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last Friday.
The Bus Rapid Transit of Metz uses a diesel-electric hybrid driving system, developed by Belgian Van Hool manufacturer. Photo credit: Wikipedia
Finding that global, national and local transport systems are hobbled by inefficiencies and a lack of sustainable investments, the expert panel issued a report entitled “Mobilising Sustainable Transport for Development”, which provides 10 recommendations on how governments, businesses and civil society should re-direct resources in the transport sector to advance sustainable development.
The experts, members of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport, include representatives from aviation, road, rail, public transport and maritime industries and associations. The recommendations address issues of policy, technology and financing and grew out of the diverse perspectives and practical experience of the panel.
The report found that a transformational change to sustainable transport can be realised through annual investments of around $2 trillion, similar to the current ‘business as usual’ spending of $1.4 trillion to $2.1 trillion.
Investments in sustainable transport, the experts found, could lead to fuel savings and lower operational costs, decreased congestion and reduced air pollution. Additionally, it is estimated that efforts to promote sustainable transport can deliver savings of up to $70 trillion by 2050.
A move to sustainable freight and passenger transport that includes integrated port terminals, well-planned airports and harmonized standards and regulations for efficient border crossings, could produce a global GDP increase by $2.6 trillion.
Writing in the report’s foreword, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that sustainable transport was essential to efforts to fight climate change, reduce air pollution and improve road safety.
“Sustainable transport supports inclusive growth, job creation, poverty reduction, access to markets, the empowerment of women, and the well-being of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.”
Focusing on important issues such as road safety, traffic congestion and climate impacts, the expert panel’s 10 specific actions include the establishment of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, the promotion of sustainable transport technologies and the increase of international development funding. The report calls for robust engagement by all stakeholders to ensure all members of society have access to jobs, markets, education and health care, through sustainable transport.
At present, the transport sector is responsible for approximately 23 per cent of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and 3.5 million premature deaths result from outdoor air pollution annually, mostly in low and middle income countries. About 10 to 15 per cent of food is lost during processing, transport and storage given a lack of modern facilities, trucks, access to refrigeration, and poor roads. Nearly one billion people worldwide still lack adequate access to road networks, which increase isolation and marginalisation and deepen social inequities. Over 1.2 million people are killed annually in road traffic accidents, causing in addition to human loss and suffering, billions of dollars of associated costs which amount, in some countries, to 1-3 per cent of GDP.
“Transport can build prosperity in the broadest sense, enhancing the quality of life for all while protecting the environment and fighting climate change,” said Martin Lundstedt, CEO of Volvo and co-chair of the High-Level Group. “We need bold innovation and a true partnership among governments, civil society and the private sector.”
“Sustainable Transport is crucial for the improvement in the quality of life of people both in cities and rural settings, at a national and international level,” stated Carolina Tohá, Mayor of Santiago, Chile and the other co-chair of the Group.
“Sustainable Transport enables people to access better services, jobs, opportunities and family connections. It is also a space where people spend a significant amount of time every day, and therefore it needs to consider safety issues as well as conditions of dignity for users. Leaving no-one behind in the context of Sustainable Transport means that in the coming decades we are able to build transport systems that are inclusive, integrated, gender-sensitive and that have people’s needs at their core.” High-Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport
On 8 August 2014, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed members of a High-level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport to provide recommendations on sustainable transport actionable at global, national, local and sector levels.
The Advisory Group, established for a period of three years, will work with governments, transport providers (aviation, marine, ferry, rail, road, and urban public transport), businesses, financial institutions, civil society and other stakeholders to promote sustainable transport systems and their integration into development strategies and policies, including in climate action.
Almost one in seven of the world’s children, 300 million, live in areas with the most toxic levels of outdoor air pollution – six or more times higher than international guidelines – reveals a new UNICEF report.
Children exposed to air pollution
Clear the Air for Children uses satellite imagery to show for the first time how many children are exposed to outdoor pollution that exceeds global guidelines set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and where they live across the globe.
The findings come a week ahead of the COP 22 in Marrakesh, Morocco, where UNICEF is calling on world leaders to take urgent action to cut air pollution in their countries.
“Air pollution is a major contributing factor in the deaths of around 600,000 children under five every year – and it threatens the lives and futures of millions more every day,” said UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake. “Pollutants don’t only harm children’s developing lungs – they can actually cross the blood-brain barrier and permanently damage their developing brains – and, thus, their futures. No society can afford to ignore air pollution.”
The satellite imagery confirms that around two billion children live in areas where outdoor air pollution, caused by factors such as vehicle emissions, heavy use of fossil fuels, dust and burning of waste, exceeds minimum air quality guidelines set by the WHO. South Asia has the largest number of children living in these areas, at 620 million, with Africa following at 520 million children. The East Asia and Pacific region has 450 million children living in areas that exceed guideline limits.
The study also examines the heavy toll of indoor pollution, commonly caused by use of fuels like coal and wood for cooking and heating, which mostly affects children in low-income, rural areas.
Together, outdoor and indoor air pollution are directly linked to pneumonia and other respiratory diseases that account for almost one in 10 under-five deaths, making air pollution one of the leading dangers to children’s health.
Children are more susceptible than adults to both indoor and outdoor air pollution as their lungs, brains and immune systems are still developing and their respiratory tracts are more permeable. Young children also breathe faster than adults, and take in more air relative to their body weight. The most disadvantaged, who already tend to have poorer health and inadequate access to health services, are the most vulnerable to the illnesses caused by polluted air.
UNICEF is asking world leaders attending COP 22 to take four urgent steps in their countries to protect children from air pollution.
Reduce pollution: All countries should work to meet WHO global air quality guidelines to enhance the safety and wellbeing of children. To achieve this, governments should adopt such measures as cutting back on fossil fuel combustion and investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.
Increase children’s access to healthcare: Investing in children’s overall healthcare – including immunisation campaigns and improving knowledge, community management and numbers seeking care for pneumonia (a leading killer of children under five) – will improve their resilience to air pollution and their ability to recover from diseases and conditions linked to it.
Minimise children’s exposure: Sources of pollution such as factories should not be located within the vicinity of schools and playgrounds. Better waste management can reduce the amount of waste that is burned within communities. Cleaner cookstoves can help improve air quality within homes. Reducing air pollution overall can help lower children’s exposure.
Monitor air pollution: Better monitoring has been proven to help children, youth, families and communities to reduce their exposure to air pollution, become more informed about its causes, and advocate for changes that make the air safer to breathe.
“We protect our children when we protect the quality of our air. Both are central to our future,” Lake said.
UNICEF is advocating for lower levels of air pollution, while also working on the ground to protect children from its effects. For example, the children’s organisation backs the development, distribution and use of cleaner cookstoves in Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and other countries, and works through some of its country programmes to reduce the impact of outdoor air pollution on children’s health. It also supports programmes to increase children’s access to quality healthcare and to vaccinate them against conditions like pneumonia.
A group of nations deemed highly disadvantaged in respective countries’ development process has called for fair and ambitious action at the 22nd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP22), which holds 7-18 November 2016 in Marrakech. The negotiations come after a year of growing international political momentum to address climate change, following the historic adoption of the Paris Agreement in December 2015.
Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, Chair of the LDC group, which is calling for fair and ambitious action at COP22
The 48-nation group is operating under the umbrella body, the Least Developed Countries (LDC). Chair of LDC, Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, says: “COP22 will be an action and implementation COP. As the world’s poorest countries, the LDC group calls for fair and ambitious action. We must build upon the foundations set in Paris to construct robust rules to support the Agreement’s implementation.”
Noting with concern that full implementation of current pledges by countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions puts the world on track for 3-3.5°C of warming above pre-industrial levels, Mr Mpanu-Mpanu notes, adding: “Science tells us that beyond temperature increases of 1.5°C the future of our planet stands on increasingly thin ice. It is imperative for communities across the world that countries take seriously their goal to pursue efforts to keep temperatures below 1.5°C. We cannot afford to treat this as an aspirational goal. An upwards spiralling of commitments to cut emissions that is both fair and proportionate to challenge rising before us is vital.”
LDCs plan to contribute to these global efforts through the LDC Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Initiative (REEEI) for Sustainable Development, among other ways.
He stresses: “The upcoming launch of the LDC REEEI in Marrakech demonstrates the continued commitment of the LDC group to real solutions that benefit real people on the ground. The Initiativewill enable LDCs to leapfrog fossil fuel based energy and generate prosperity by bringing modern, clean, resilient energy systems to millions of energy-starved people.”
LDCs are particularly vulnerable to climate change, with hazards including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, increased drought and floods and the spread of tropical diseases threatening health and food security. “As LDCs, we lack the resources and capacity to adequately protect our communities from the devastating impacts of climate change. In Marrakech we seek greater commitment from developed countries to provide financial support, technology and capacity building to enable LDCs to respond to the climate crisis,” says the LDC group chair.
The Marrakech meeting will see entry into force of the Paris Agreement on 4 November. He comments: “The first meeting of the CMA is an important springboard for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. We celebrate newfound global unity to act on climate change. But given the moment of entry into force has arrived earlier than anticipated we must also ensure countries yet to deposit their instruments of ratification are not left behind on the launchpad. We look forward to an inclusive and transparent process in Marrakech that allows all countries to participate as we approach this next hurdle.”
He underlines the necessity of pre-2020 action: “The impacts of climate change are already upon us. Pre-2020 action must be strengthened urgently to provide the thrust needed to propel our economies and policies towards effective, sustainable and ambitious actions.”
The LDC group has already convened in Marrakech for preparatory meetings from 1-2 November, to consolidate LDC positions and strategies ahead of the upcoming negotiations.
Currently, the 48 LDCs comprise around 880 million people, 12 per cent of the world population, which face severe structural impediments to growth. However, the LDCs account for less than 2 per cent of world GDP and around 1 per cent of world trade.
Mozambique has reached an agreement with a private enterprise towards the development of the country’s first large scale solar plant. Scatec Solar and Norfund signed the Power Purchase Agreement securing the sale of solar power over a 25-year period to the state owned utility Electricidade de Mozambique (EDM).
A solar panel being prepared for use. Mozambique is developing it’s first large scale solar plant Photo credit: greenchipstocks.com
The agreement was signed at a ceremony in Maputo on Monday in the presence of the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Børge Brende; the Mozambican Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Mrs Letícia Klemens; as well as Dr Mateus Magala, Chairman & CEO of EDM. The project is the first major solar plant to be built in the country and represents an important first step in realising Mozambique’s ambition to increase renewable power generation in its energy mix.
The 40 MW plant is located close to the city of Mocuba in the Zambézia Province, and is expected to deliver 77,000 MWh per year of much needed electricity to the northern regions of Mozambique. The plant will deliver power to the national grid and produce enough energy to serve about 175 000 households.
In addition to this new 40 MW plant in Mozambique, the company operates 200 MW of solar power plants in South Africa and Rwanda and has new projects under development across Africa, including Mali, Nigeria and Kenya.
A shareholder agreement was also signed between KLP Norfund Investments AS, Scatec Solar and EDM. The required project investment is estimated at $80 million. Scatec Solar (52.5%), KLP Norfund Investments (22.5%) and EDM (25%) will provide equity, while IFC, the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund intend to provide project finance debt. The parties are targeting financial close and solar plant construction start in the first quarter of 2017.
“This is an excellent example of how private public partnerships can deliver renewable energy and support further economic growth in Mozambique. EDM and the government of Mozambique have demonstrated strong leadership in taking this project forward and it paves the way for further investments in renewable energy in the country,” says Scatec Solar CEO, Raymond Carlsen.
“Access to reliable energy is a prerequisite for development. Only 3% of the world’s electricity is generated in Africa, although 15% of the world’s population lives here. Clean energy is a focus investment area for Norfund, and we appreciate being a partner in this first independent solar power producer project in Mozambique together with EDM and Scatec Solar,” says Norfund CEO, Kjell Roland.
The project is the result of a partnership between the governments of Norway and Mozambique. The Norwegian government has provided economic support as well as technical expertise to the energy sector in Mozambique for several years.
The issue of waste management is becoming a thing of worry in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, where wastes pile up and litter junctions, roadsides and road dividers. The practice of dumping waste at these undesignated spots started a few months ago and has continued unabated.
Wastes have piled up and littering junctions, roadsides and road dividers in Makurdi
According to a resident along Iorkyaa Ako Street at the High Level area of the town, Terfa Iortyeer, the practice started when the Benue State Environmental Sanitation Agency (BENSESA) removed litter/waste bins from strategic spots in the metropolis, and directing residents to package wastes in polythene bags which they (officials of BENSESA) promised promised to come and collect them.
However, Mr Iortyeer noted that since the introduction of that new strategy, the Agency failed to come to collect refuse or deliberately chose few places to carry out the waste collection.
Another resident in Makurdi who simply identified himself as Ugba stated that the situation is not palatable, as he uses his car to go and dispose waste at the outskirt of the town, stating that those who do not have the luxury of a car to aid them in disposing their waste have no choice than to dispose it wherever they wanted.
“Although it is not healthy for the environment and not right for residents to dump refuse indiscriminately on the streets as it causes air pollution and could cause an epidemic, what else can they do?” he demands.
When contacted to speak on the matter, the General Manager of BENSESA, Simon Chile, states that they have enforced the Benue State Sanitation Law and will arrest anyone dumping waste indiscriminately.
Debunking the claim that they are choosy on where to collect waste, Mr Chile maintained that the agency has been covering the whole town and not a select part. He adds that they removed most of the public waste bins due to health hazards posed by the dumping of medical waste by hospitals at spots meant for domestic waste.
“We have still maintained some waste bins at enclosed spaces where they cannot be tampered with by the secret dumping of medical waste,” he adds.
He stressed that they are resolute in going round houses in the metropolis for monitoring and disposing waste neatly packed in polythene disposal bags.
Also speaking on proper waste delivery, Dr. Oje Echikwonye of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital called on the citizenry to imbibe a culture of keeping their environment clean and properly disposing waste.
According to her, having a clean environment prevents the spread of diseases, injuries and enhances the aesthetic value of the environment.
To this end, she called on the residents of Makurdi to partner with BENSESA in ensuring that they live healthier in a clean environment.
The trail of waste littering the town stretches from Naka Road through High Level from Iorchia Ayu Road up to Wurukum Roundabout and other areas.
To this end, the government needs to quickly adopt new strategies to manage the increasing waste generated in Makurdi in order to curtail the many ills the indiscriminate disposal of waste is causing to the residents, among others.
It is expected that through BENSESA and Private Sector Players (PSP), better results at managing waste disposal through provision of dump sites, a harmonised revenue generation disposal system, and improved technological waste handling and management can be achieved.
The earlier the waste disposal system’s sorry state is addressed, the sooner the probability that success will be achieved in curtailing health hazards ocassioned by the humongous churn out of solid waste without adequate waste disposal equipment and lack of official dump sites.
In the face of contemporary times and new technologies, there is an urgent need for the government and the private sector to collaborate in a partnership that would help reposition Benue’s waste management system to conform with international best practices.
Waste management is a big business and income earner and it goes without saying that, as Makurdi metropolis keeps developing with new layouts springing up constantly, the economic activities and livelihood activities along side population increases with attendant increment in waste generation. With the foregone, if systematic and deliberate new approaches to waste management are explored, the town and, indeed, the whole of the state can conveniently manage her waste instead of struggling with its storage, collection and disposal.
Commercial waste management, regulated by government, would greatly aid in a situation where the State Government cannot wholly invest in collecting, and effectively disposing waste via recycling as dump sites/landfills as the case may be, is even now discouraged as it is known to create environmental pollution and other health hazards to those resident around the area.
There is also every need to sustain the tempo recently adopted by the Senior Special Assistant to the Benue State Governor on Public Utilities, Environment and Sanitation in the clean up of the town drainage channels as another way of doing away with littered waste.
It is unacceptable that Makurdi has no designated official waste dump site not to talk of landfill. There is need to have at least four dump sites for Makurdi or it will be grossly inadequate. So to say, a dump site ought to be sited along Makurdi-Lafia Road, Makurdi-Gboko Road, Makurdi-Otukpo Road and Makurdi-Naka Road to attend to the ever growing population of the cosmopolitan town.
Part of the ineffective collection of waste is due to the lack of viable dump sites which will continue to lead to indiscriminate dumping of waste by roadsides, drainage channels and also overflowing public waste bins/litters.
Summarily, in addressing waste management problems in Makurdi and beyond, the Benue State Government must jack-up her political will and commitment in waste management, re-sensitise the public on proper waste disposal practices to change their behaviour, conveniently manage waste management from collection and point to final disposal point, introduce recycling of waste and create market for the products from the recycling will go a long way in solving the problem of waste management in the state.
As the hottest year on record draws to a close, countries will gather in the historic Moroccan city of Marrakech from the 7th to 18th of November for the 22nd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP22) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Under a new Executive Secretary (Mexican, Patricia Espinosa), negotiators will attempt to chart the way forwards towards meeting the objectives of the Convention and implementing the Paris Agreement.
Patricia Espinosa will convene are first COP in Marrakech as Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC
The Paris Agreement passed the threshold for entry into force earlier than anticipated after being ratified by 55 countries representing 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions on October 4th, meaning that the Agreement will enter into force on 4th November and the Marrakech meeting will also host the first Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA1).
Since the Paris Summit, delegates have met all together only once in Bonn where they launched a new working group (the APA), agreed its agenda and shared initial views on the way forward. Due to the rapid ratification process the APA and other bodies have not finalised decisions to present to the COP and CMA. The main substantive issues and challenges facing governments in Marrakech therefore remain largely unchanged.
Increasing ambition
A critical issue in Marrakech is how the world will achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal pursuing efforts to stay under 1.5°C warming, and the 2016 “facilitative dialogue” could potentially see fiery exchanges between countries over how to ramp up ambition and financial support in the pre-2020 window. With recognition that the 2°C goal does not provide a safe guardrail, with studies under way by the IPCC on the 1.5°C target, and with a narrow window to avoid missing the 1.5°C target altogether countries will have to increase their efforts to reduce emissions under the pre-2020 period of the Kyoto Protocol as well as turn their post-2020 Paris pledges into concrete actions. If not, civil society groups worry they may be tempted to turn to untested “negative emissions technologies” such as bio energy with carbon-capture and storage (BECCS) to avoid warming of up to 3.5°C – a plan which is unlikely to work at scale and likely would conflict with food security and environmental integrity and place a furtherunfair burden on vulnerable countries
due to its huge demand for land.
Sharing the effort fairly
The Marrakech meeting’s focus on pre-2020 action is also reflected in a new report “Setting the Path to 1.5°C“, to be launched by a diverse coalition of civil society groups who made a splash last year in Paris with their analysis of countries’ post-2020 pledges, which highlighted how developing countries are as a whole much closer to taking on their fair share of the collective effort than the developed countries. South Africa’s Ambassador Diseko brought the findings of that report into the negotiating sessions of the Paris Agreement, after previously likening imbalance in the negotiations to apartheid – similar dramas could ensue in Marrakech if countries perceive the principle of equity is being undermined.
Dealing with climate reality
In Marrakech, countries will discuss the 2016 review of the “loss and damage” mechanism-which develops policy frameworks to help communities deal with a variety of climate change impacts-with developing countries laying down a moral imperative for developed countries to provide the necessary finance. Though 135 million people are at risk of displacement due to land degradation and tens of millions risk being impoverished as their livelihoods are threatened, climate change institutions which would help-like the loss and damage mechanism and its newly established displacement task force-remain under-resourced and funding for adaptation remains inadequate. Anticipating climate change to exacerbate displacement around the world, civil society groups meeting in Marrakech will mount a call for governments to address the gaps in legal protection for “climate migrants.”
Supporting the energy transformation
In Marrakech governments will launch ambitious new efforts such as the Least Developed Country Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Initiative, and the Global Programme for Renewable Energy and Energy Access Transformation, building on and expanding the progress made by the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative, which has so far attracted $10 billion in pledges. If the negotiations on implementing the Paris Agreement hit a roadblock, initiatives such as these can offer some good news given their potential for both reducing emissions and improving energy access for the world’s poor-provided the pledges materialise into new projects.
Finance roadmap to 2020
A major conflict among countries is likely to arise in Morocco over finance after developed conutries released a “roadmap” to the $100 billion per year which they have committed to find by 2020.Developing countries and civil society groups have already severely criticised the roadmap for “double counting” existing aid flows and exaggerating of the rate at which public money can leverage private funds. Concerns about the new “roadmap” include that it provides no scope for increased financing from developed countries and multilateral financial institutions over the pledges made in Paris. With the costs of developing countries’ Paris pledges expected to exceed $4 trillion, these criticisms will have to be addressed if countries are to implement the Agreement successfully.
The way forward
There are likely to be “process fights” as countries meet in various formations over the two weeks. The APA will meet as a single “contact group” three times, with informal talks on each substantive agenda item running in two parallel sessions. Meanwhile discussions under the subsidiary bodies will happen at the same time. The first CMA will open on November 15th with many ministers and some Heads of State expected to attend.
Many countries are concerned that the CMA should not be the body to decide on its own rules-as only 87 of 197 countries have ratified the Paris Agreement, and are therefore not able to actively participate in the CMA. If these concerns are not allayed then difficulties will arise.
The question of who can and can’t take part in talks about how to implement the Paris Agreement also has the potential to create further frictions after the May session in Bonn saw civil society groups call for the UNFCCC to “kick out big polluters” due to their conflict of interest, resulting in a heated debate between countries.
Although it will not match the high-drama of Paris, the Marrakech meeting will nevertheless see some challenging questions raised over how to fairly increase pre-2020 ambition, as well as how to ensure the $100 billion is really flowing to developing countries for projects that cut emissions and that help communities deal with climate change impacts.
The Nigerian healthcare delivery system is a source of concern to all and sundry because of the needless deaths of compatriots and the capital flight that the health sector has come to represent in our time.
Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole. The Nigerian healthcare delivery system has been described a source of concern
While the wealthy routinely fly out of the country to seek medical expertise, the middle class struggle to access the few private healthcare centres in the country and the poor are left at the mercy of poorly managed healthcare centers manned by poorly committed, ill motivated healthcare workers of all types or quacks.
Overtime, Nigerians have depended on the Healthcare professionals to proffer solutions to the various challenges plaguing our healthcare delivery system but unfortunately, the health sector has become atomistic and is perpetually at war with itself and thus have almost abandoned their core mandate of attending to the healthcare needs our nation. Most often, rather than seek reengineering of the system, they are at war over personal emoluments.
I believe that the time is ripe for non-clinicians to help find alternative solutions as the consumers of the healthcare provider’s product – wellness. It is more so as this issue affects the general well-being of our citizens regardless of our status or other endowments
Most often, workers down tool in this sector for their own need and comfort, recourse to improving the system is only used as rhetoric to mask their original claims. It is therefore important that we put a call to government to look closely at our healthcare delivery system and address the issues squarely. The personal emoluments of the healthcare providers are crucial but improvement can only be obtained from a holistic review and implementation.
The Healthcare sector of our economy is meant to service the society and ensure that the populace, as much as possible, is in the state of health to effectively drive the engine of national development. What we find today is a healthcare system which rather than service the nation is preying on its citizens and pauperising our national economy either consciously or unconsciously.
The Current Health Architecture
Nigeria being a three tier state, constitutionally charges each tier with a specific level of responsibility in the health sector. The Local Authorities are responsible for the primary healthcare which ought to be the management of local dispensaries, environment sanitation/protection and routine immunisation, etc.
The State Governments are supposed to be responsible for secondary healthcare system i.e. the General Hospitals, Health Centres and similar healthcare delivery systems while the Federal Government is expected to concentrate its efforts on the tertiary and apex referral institutions such as the National Hospital, the Specialist/Teaching Hospitals and the interventionist Federal Medical Centres.
The reality on ground today however, is that the local authority delivery systems are non-existent. The dispensaries and Health Centers managed by the Native Authorities in the sixties and Local Authorities in the seventies are non-functional.
In other words, the first level of healthcare provision and prevention of diseases has been rendered non-existent. The implication of this is that all the patients that could have been attended to at this level either move to the next level (the secondary level) or seek self-medication or relies on quacks.
The Federal Government intervened to correct this anomaly by establishing the Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) to handle immunisation and other primary healthcare needs. This agency which is only an interventional Agency has stabilised itself thus giving cold comfort to Local Authorities to abdicate their constitutional responsibilities.
Recent newspaper reports indicate that only 2,500 of 30,000 Primary Healthcare Centres nationwide are functional. Thus diseases that could have been arrested or prevented at that level are left to fester sometimes metamorphosing into an epidemic on national dimensions.
Furthermore, the NPHCDA is funded by the Federal Government from its own share of the Federal Revenue Allocation. This unsustainable arrangement is what the country is currently operating and has even been further expanded to include support for some traditional birth attendants and midwives nationwide.
With the clamour for increased revenue allocation to the State Government, funding for this Agency may be one of the casualties of a reduction in the Federal Government spending whenever revenue review takes place. The implication of this on primary healthcare delivery is scary.
The State Governments are expected to be saddled with the efficient running of the Secondary healthcare facilities such as General Hospitals, health centres etc. Surprisingly due to gross dereliction of responsibility, many General Hospitals in the State are ill equipped, ill-staffed and ill maintained.
Sometime ago, a State in the middle belt of Nigeria shut down ALL its General Hospitals supposedly for renovation for almost three years. The whole state had to depend on the only Federal Medical Centre in the State Capital for its healthcare delivery – This necessitated the Federal Centre embarking on outreaches to the three Senatorial districts at huge costs to the Federal Government.
The hardship experienced by the citizens of that poor state is better imagined. Our political system does not sanction leaders for mismanagement of this nature and thus encourages maladministration underpinned by arrogance. There should be a way to sanction leaders at state levels who display this type of nonchalance to the welfare of their own people.
The Federal Government has largely borne the burden of servicing the healthcare delivery system of the country. From providing primary care and environmental sanitation in the Local Council Areas to servicing the Secondary level care of the State by building Federal Medical Centers in the States. The consequential effect of this is that Federal funds which should only have been spent on tertiary level care in the Federal and Teaching Hospital is dissipated and inadequate to procure and properly maintain the apex level clinical equipment in these tertiary level hospitals.
There is no doubt that given modern equipment, coupled with right maintenance, our hospitals at the Tertiary level possess the human capital and skills required to handle most referrals adequately. However, a situation where the first two levels of healthcare delivery system have collapsed and the third tier is left to handle the entire system results not only in overload and abuse of facilities; it is coupled with fatigue of the healthcare staff.
Working on a very high patient/health worker ratio is dangerous and not only lowers the efficiency of the professional but constitutes an emotional drain them on them resulting sometimes in rude encounters with patients.
Current Administrative Set-Up
The current system has the Chief Medical Director (CMD) or Medical Director (MD) who is usually a medical doctor as the Chief Executive of the hospital. The administration department is usually headed by a Director of Administration who is expected to be a professional in Hospital Administration/Management but most often they are graduates of the Social Sciences.
The doctors are organised under the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), the Nurses under the Head of Nursing and other professionals under their respective most senior officers. However, only the CMAC representing the doctors, HOD nursing for the nurses and the director of Administration are officially members of Top Management Chaired by the CMD.
This arrangement has encouraged the emergence of various unions to champion the course of other professional groupings in the hospital. The doctors who are usually head the hospitals, rather than take lead in harmonising the interest of every worker in the healthcare system as organisational leaders, responded by founding strong and powerful professional groupings which acts similar to unions to advance their own interest and only sometimes do they struggle to advance the course of the healthcare delivery system.
This development led to the loss of confidence by the other professionals in the ability of the doctors to protect their interest as leaders in the healthcare industry. This, in my understanding, is the major reason for the tumultuous relationship in the health sector which constantly erupts and paralyses healthcare delivery in Nigerian public institutions.
Several attempts by government to address the health sectors’ demands have serially failed because the human capital (manpower) in the sector are not prepared for a harmonious coexistence. Curiously, private hospitals hardly record strikes. It is therefore necessary to identify the root causes of strikes in the public sector health institutions.
Some Root Causes of Persistent Crisis in Health Sector
The perennial work stoppages in the health sector are caused by various issues which are of diverse nature. Some of them are connected while others are not.
A few of such are as follows: –
Structure: the structure of management in the hospital is largely colonial (pre-independence) and has not evolved to take care of the increase in intellectual attainment by other specialties in the health sector. The doctor used to be administratively and intellectually superior to all other actors in the health sector but not anymore. With the increase in opportunities for higher education and research, some hitherto subordinate health sector professional groupings have advanced intellectually and do not feel intellectually subordinate to doctor schoolmates anymore. The issue to be addressed however is if that superior knowledge is necessary for the performance of their roles in the hospital setting.
Capacity: Management and administrative ability is acquired through a deliberate system of teaching, learning and experience occasioned by a course of learning. The training of doctors makes light of general management in its curriculum content but yet they graduate to head the hospital system, a top management position. Every hospital is similar to a small multidisciplinary company with various inputs processed by different experts and applied to the patients with the expected output of providing healthcare to the patients. Most often this deficiency of doctors in management, especially crisis management and labour relations are the root causes of some strikes in our hospitals.
Unionism: There are so many unions in the health sector. Most of them antagonistic to each other. Some are not registered unions but professional associations yet the system tolerates their existence without legal backing to the detriment of orderly conduct in the hospitals. Due to this antagonism, each group seeks to protect its turf and advance only its interest, at such, delivery of healthcare to the patient has been the constant casualty. If our healthcare professionals will co-operate with one another and focus on the patient, the little resources available to the sector will achieve much more than we are currently experiencing.
Education system: Some of the crises we experience in the sector are engineered by the type of training these professionals obtain from their institutions. Rivalry of the profession need to be addressed by definite curriculum arrangement that promotes the unity of the various specialties and their interdependency in favour of the patient in the hospital.
Corruption: Largely, control of resources and loose accountability for resources in the hospital is one of the causes of crisis. A patient is desperate to get well and will not be bothered about what happens to the payment made at that point. Poor accountability and the control of loose monies flowing around various units of the hospital is always a cause of friction.
Inadequate Supervision: Due to the multiplicity of unions and associations, supervision is hampered. Ordinary disciplinary issues are misinterpreted as victimisation. Command and control suffers due to inability to enforce rules and regulations by superiors.
Incompetence: When appointment to management/administrative positions are made based on entry level qualifications and specialty, regardless of experience and further trainings, the best may not be favored. While entry qualification and specialty are basic, it must be appreciated that further training and experience are required in order to function effectively in a top management position.
Lack of Commitment: The medical professional from history is highly honoured. People who give care to and manage human life are not only expected to be intelligent, but highly compassionate. The educational pathway and training is rigorous. Somehow, in our country, the management of this sector has resulted in these usually focused set of professionals being distracted by the allure of lucre to deviate from the established norms to the detriment of their professional calling and sometimes their oath. Sometimes, this is due to the pressures visited upon them by an uncaring system. Perhaps, there is a need to filter the type of entrants into the medical field and also put in place a robust compensation system henceforth. Healthcare professionals should not be constantly struggling to be compensated in a society that has values and appreciates their contributions.
Inadequate Tools for Measuring Output: Most government hospitals have no tools for measuring the work output of their staff. A lot of latitude is given to individual staff to work as expected, but this is largely abused. Thus we have a lot of divided loyalty and double dealing.
Lack of patriotism: A survey of the persistent crisis in the healthcare sector indicate that quite a high number of them could be resolved through negotiations without the attendant loss of time and inconveniences suffered during total hospital shut downs. The easy recourse to strikes does not portray a patriotic commitment on the part of the unions while the government officials must only make commitments which they are sure that the government can meet in a timely manner.
Lack of Incentive for Hard work: The system of administration of a public hospital is based on civil service rules and regulations. Considering the delicate nature of performance and commitment required in healthcare, the lack of incentive for hard work is a disincentive. All negotiated emoluments are of general application and thus there is no incentive for hard work.
Lack of Sanctions for Poor Unprofessional Conduct: Sanctions for unprofessional conduct or misconduct is farfetched and often times are a slap on the wrist. Most often, the culprit is let off after the hue and cry has subsided.
Favoritism and group Interest Overriding Professionalism and national Interest: Most unions in the health sectors are concerned only about the welfare of their members regardless of the healthcare team or even the patient. Most activists are always those who have challenge in exhibiting proficiency in their calling, thus the diligent and hardworking professionals are blackmailed into silence or even exiting the service.
Predatory Business Class: The business class that services the health sector do not project the interest of the patient but rather are concerned most often about the maximisation of profit only. This results in equipment being dumped on the hospital without serviceability and sustainability arrangements. Sometimes, some equipment is brought into the country without going through the manufacturers authorised channels and is thus stripped of the warrantees necessary for routine upgrades. Although a national Standard and approved equipment policy for public hospitals exists, lack of periodic reviews in the light of emerging technology has made the policy obsolete and is enforced more in the breach. Hospitals procure all manner of equipment from various sources regardless of their in-house capacity to maintain them. Thus, these hospitals are littered with broken down unserviceable equipment which are sometimes the cause of unrest by the workers.
Lack of policy on the interdependency of the Healthcare Sector and the Healthcare Sector products manufacturers: The Healthcare sector is unmindful of the relation between the care providers and manufacturers of their inputs for care giving. When hospitals shutdown, it is not only the patients that suffer, the drug and medicament suppliers/manufactures are also affected and consequently the economy loses both in manpower availability and the contribution of the health sector to the GDP.
No enforcement of local content policy in drug administration: Enforcement of local content will limit corruption in drug procurement and challenge indigenous manufacturers. Importation should be for only products which in-country manufacturing capacity does not exist.
Inadequate appreciation of the nexus between the nation’s healthcare system, unemployment and GDP: The healthcare worker sees the hospital patient as an end in itself. They are most times oblivious to the fact that in a society, we are all interdependent and mismanagement of any area affects the entire system. Long delays in accessing healthcare and getting well denies the economy of the inputs of the patient in the national economy.
Lack of a clear definition of the powers and roles of the Federal Ministers, State Commissioners, Local Government Supervisor/Councilors in the healthcare system. The new national health act used to be operationalised in order for benefits in this area to be assessed.
Overdependence on the states and local governments on the federal Governmentfor the provision of healthcare services. Federal government should surcharge these tiers for interventions carried out on their behalf.
Lack of a Co-Ordinated Healthcare Architecture for the Country: All the three arms are supposedly building healthcare facilities most often duplicating same facilities in an uncoordinated manner. The triangular approach to healthcare provision will be more functional coordinated nationally.
Lack of Attention to Biomedical Engineering: – The healthcare sector is largely dependent on human capital and efficient equipment for the provision of services. However, the training of manpower to ensure sustainability and the maintenance management of hospital equipment is not given adequate attention. While huge sums are expended on the procurement of technologically advanced new medical equipment, the in-house hospital manpower that should ensure the sustainability of such acquired Hi-tech equipment are not trained and are ill-equipped for their roles thus limiting the economic lifespan of such expensive equipment.
Lack of Project Management Expertise in the Hospitals: – Most public health institutions routinely embark on projects to expand, renovate or re-equip. The successful prosecution of these projects require project management competency. However, due to the specialised nature of training of the healthcare professionals, they are deficient in this area. Some of the abandoned projects in the hospitals are traceable to their deficiency in project management.
It is not possible to catalogue all the reasons for work stoppages in our public health sector; however, these few are instructive in seeking solutions to the downward trend in our healthcare delivery system.
If the exodus of our compatriots for medical care to India, Egypt, South Africa, UK, USA, Germany etc. with the attendant loss of forex is to be stemmed a major restructuring of the nation’s healthcare Architecture must take place (In fact, the current economic situation in our country has made the review of our healthcare delivery system more imperative as the cost of seeking alternatives outside the shores of this country is now prohibitive even for the rich!).
Ordinarily medical tourism ought to be the pre-requisite of the affluent but contemporary experience has shown that neglecting to seek medical attention outside the shores of this country could mean pronouncing a death sentence on yourself.
Under the current economic climate, the government has no choice than to revamp the health system while tackling the economy and infrastructural challenges. Some of these changes do not require funds but a revision of strategy.
Nigeria healthcare professionals are among the best in the world and would deliver given the right atmosphere. The right atmosphere should among others include a review of the organogram of the healthcare institutions, adjustment of the management pattern of the hospital and expansion of the clinical training program of doctors to include salient management concepts and equipping for managing a multidisciplinary enterprise such as a hospital.
The policy that allows for medical personnel in public services to run parallel hospitals whilst still in public service needs a rethink. This policy has done more harm than good to the healthcare delivery system in this country. The initiators probably meant well and needed to address certain nagging issues at the time it was granted. The implementation has been abused and the ordinary citizen are helpless as diversion of patients, absenteeism and extortion has taken over this policy no matter how well intentioned it was at conception.
There is an urgent need to review and allocate specific responsibility in patient management as it concerns the Consultant, Doctors, Residents, NYSC Doctors, Nurses and Midwives. The manpower input of these professional ought to be thoroughly monitored in order for it to achieve the desired objective. Whereas the payrolls of the hospitals are loaded with these experts, the actual delivery of services leaves much to be desired.
Drugs availability is an age old challenge in the system. With the number of pharmaceutical manufacturers in Nigeria and the NHIS support, there is no reason why baseline medication should not be available at affordable prices for the populace throughout the country.
The pharmaceutical drug distribution system both in the public and private sector needs to be re-organised by the government and made efficient. Government should take the lead in this direction.
Drugs and medicaments donated by multinational agencies need to be monitored and directed to the areas of need when they still have adequate shelve life. The role of Government Agencies in the Ports on donated drugs leaves a lot to be desired. The Government Agencies at the nations Ports should co-operate with the health authorities to ensure that donated and even imported medical equipment and drugs do not waste away at the ports when those in need of their applications are dying in droves.
The following areas require urgent attention:
Government should define the structure of the nation’s healthcare Architecture possibly through a constitutional amendment. Healthcare responsibilities should be clearly defined between the three tiers of government. And each tier should be encouraged to perform its role. When support is lent by other tiers, it must be as an intervention and temporary. Each tier should be encouraged to play their constitutional roles
The National Health Insurance Scheme should be expanded and made to function as a health insurance body for the entire populace. The experience gathered since inception is now enough for them to deploy nationally.
Government should decentralise control of healthcare facilities. The federal ministry of health should be concerned with enforcement of regulatory control and providing enabling environment for investment in the Health Sector.
Healthcare procurement is specialist procurement. Government hospital must not procure medical equipment without adequate sustainability arrangement. In this wise, biomedical engineers and technicians should be employed and deployed to the hospital to arrest the constant breakdown of equipment.
Some equipment must not be owned by the hospitals or government at all. Such equipment of high capital value should be obtained on a public, private partnership (PPP) arrangement with the manufacturers. Nigerian patient population is huge enough to generate a fast and good return on investment. Government resources should only be spent to ensure that the vulnerable are not left out due to financial incapacity.
Local entrepreneurs should be encouraged to produce local medical equipment beginning with basic ones which might not require high technology. We can adapt and manufacture some of the medical equipment being imported now at fractions of the current cost.
The training curriculum of healthcare professionals should be reviewed to equip them with a good knowledge of their interdependency and co-existence in the hospital setting.
Every hospital should define its manning levels and the requisite qualification to function at the various levels in the hospital organogram. Over qualified personnel should be encouraged to seek professional expression elsewhere. The universities and research institutions are available to accommodate such brilliant minds. They must not remain in the hospitals where they are underutilised and redundant
Finally, the health sector is definitely not the only one needing a thorough analysis and re-organisation but it is the most potent in terms of its adverse survival index on the populace. If we must survive and exit this recession, the working class must be healthy enough to be productive and grow the economy.
I do hope that those who are in the position to act will consider all or part of this discussion as a contribution to our quest for national transformation.
All hands must be on deck if we must navigate and turn around the economy of our country for good.
Long live Nigeria! Long live the healthcare sector!
By Samson A. Opaluwah (Former Director in the Federal Ministry of Health and, The National Hospital, Abuja)
