2017 of Famine and
Diseases
2016, was a year of loads of
promises that did not come to pass for many nations and people around the
globe. For me, it was a different story which I know they are others that
shared same stories with me, it was a year of marked progress in life. Like
a newspaper article in the US, noted 2016 a year that never took off!
As an economist with depth in development space, 2016 never took me by surprise, just like 2017 would
not.
Coming home to Nigeria it was a year of ‘confusion’
across the leadership space and the masses paid the price for that confusion
with untold hardship that could have been avoided. And now 2017, a
year that looks ‘dark’ for nations and I don’t see any lesson learnt by
Nigerians leadership across board. With the budget of Nigeria showing that our
President plans to spend his way out of recession, without any supporting
private sector involvement even the best of socialist government in history has
never succeeded in that move. If he does his name should be framed in the
Guinness Book of Records, and I sincerely prays he does.
Having said that, my concern is now about what the
signs of the earth is showing us as regards food security and health
challenges. The condition shows we might experience famine and disease
outbreak- I know there is lots of “God forbid” going on now! Well God has given
us, scientists and diplomats to prepare the people for such a time as these.
Discussing our preparedness with a friend of mine, he showed concern and
optimism at the same time. His words were “the issue [is] that Nigerian health
workers have not been able to see the difference between epidemic preparedness
and health facility readiness to implement innovation or change in the health
context”
My first response was “well are we prepared for any
emergency at all?” His response “well at least Lagos State is” I answered “to a
large extend bro…they also can do better. In as much as they are a model state
a lot is still lacking”. He went ahead to share how the existing Polio centres
was what rescued Nigeria during the Ebola outbreak in 2014 but as a nation we
were not ready then and even now.
From the discussion, we noted that since we experienced
the index case of Ebola July 20, 2014. We should expect another soon. And our
surveillance and ancillary signal system is poor. Our borders are porous, the
Airports is ill-equipped. Also after WHO declared Nigeria Ebola free. All
the hand washing campaigns stopped in most schools and places of worship.
We must get ready again, with enough indigenous
knowledge and hand washing behaviours proven across the pandemic zones in
Africa to have citizens protected. All those concern must get us ready for yet
another outbreak of whatever epidemic that is on his way here!
On food security, until we have a sequential chain or
an organised value chain, Agriculture will be more farming less
productivity. Many players in this field like me, has reached out to many
Governors and concern stakeholders in the Agricultural sectors, responses so
far has shown Government is still satisfied with propaganda and status
quo. Nigeria' 2017 Budget holds promises, but the balance between researches,
field, financing and market; and incentives to get more young people into the
value chains, might help us meet our food needs.
In this 2017, please keep your family safe,
ensure your watch out for this five elements that can expose them to disease
and how to put up the best possible defences. (Water, Food, Insects, Animals
& People). And for food, I advise you have a family garden if you have
space and cut food waste, prepare only what you all can eat at a time. Keep a
food dairy to check areas of wastage.
Stay safe peps!
Article first written December 2016 for Herald Online Newspaper, edited for this blog post.
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