Today cannot be women's day

Someone cracked an expensive joke that today is women's day

Very expensive and though I can afford it, I decline to pay 

For those who know, today cannot be women's day

Women's day is every day and every day is women's day

Celebrating the women in our lives should happen every day

So that the prices they pay do not become needles in stacks of hay

Mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, these are not just some random nouns

In truth, they're worth more than the jewels in our crowns

Precious treasures deserving to be abundantly treasured

Far above their sacrifices often unfittingly measured

Every day and in every way, make every day women's day

The debt that's death

Today, I write about debt, that we all owe
And will pay for, with what we sow

A pledge we all sign
A fate to which, all will resign

Today I write about a reality
About which there will be every clarity

About what we all will become
When the time has come

I write about the very travel
That will end all trouble

A journey we know not its form
Neither means, nor our embarking platform

But will invoke eternal silence
That will (or not) make sense

Alone, in a quiet cave
Dreaded, even by the brave

Today I write about death
Death, yes, the very death

The same death that we fear
But that will come whether or not we care

Death that today, took away my brother
My beloved, hero, a brother like a father

But today, I dare not mourn
In apparels torn and worn

Nor dare I relent
Nor my frustration openly vent

Today I pray with lots of hope
That you receive divine pardon and the grace to cope

Today I reminiscent
In every moment, that we together spent

Today I ponder
But not about why, do I wonder

My pondering is about how
I might be worthy of the plough

That you left afield
And how I may sustain the yield

I will miss your brotherliness
Your, admonitions and kindness

And I will strive, by His grace, not to become
Anything less worthy, till my own time shall come

Good night, my brother
Abdul Kareem

COVID-19: What is government hiding by asking people to stay at home?

I’m sure we're all overwhelmed with the volume of news especially in the other media these days of an unprecedented outbreak. I guess, and as someone also observed, the real problem is neither the virus itself nor the loads of information that get dumped on us. The real problem that is by far bigger than the virus itself is the “viral loads” of fake news or wrong information that go viral across social media platforms as well commissioned and non-commissioned news mongers. Equally menacing like the menace of fake news is the hysteria about updates. It is shocking how much people want to be the first to share updates on the number of deaths or numbers of new cases!.  I can’t help wondering how badly people must really need to know so much, so fast to warrant such speed and dedication to announcing the numbers of deaths! I suppose however that we will not be so eager to break the news if it happens close to home – I dare say.

Someone recently said that if you do not work in the mortuary, keeping count of COVID-19 deaths may not be good for mental health reasons. I quite agree with this opinion and this is why, and this can be verified; the human mind is created to rejoice about good news and sorrow over bad news or not too pleasant news. In order to enliven our spirits and increase our level of happiness and immunity in these trying and gloomy times, it makes sense that we pay less attention to the number of deaths and more attention to more positive things like the fact that we are alive and seize every opportunity to seek happy, joyous and spirit lifting news. It is a known fact that engaging in any form of exercise (physical or mental) or simply taking enough rest or sleep and eating good healthy meals can improve immunity and happiness especially at times like this. Above all, we have been advised that the simplest inexpensive route out of this situation continue to be the need to keep proper hygiene and stay away from crowds.

You may wonder how despite the size of the problem, all we get as advice is “wash your hand”, “maintain social distancing” “stay at home”. A truth that I learnt recently is that these suggestions only appear simply when you look at them on the surface; when you see this pandemic are their problem, when the mishap is yet far from home. There is more to these things than washing hands, keeping away or staying at home. These seemingly simple suggestions are in fact golden when you pay attention to how this virus spreads. Although happily, there are no evidence that it can stay in the air for long enough to be air borne, interestingly but not funny, a few droplets of nasal discharge from sneezing or coughing from an infected person that get onto most surfaces can wreak havoc.

Again, one of the dangers in the way the new virus spreads is from people who may have contracted the virus but do not yet show symptoms. So, for example, Mr A has the virus but feels he is alright, so he took the bus or went to the office or a public event or place. He sneezes or coughs into his hands and use the hand to touch surfaces around him. The chances are high that other people will touch the same surfaces that Mr A touched and from then on, they also become infected and as many surfaces as they touch and as many people after them that touch those surfaces are your guesses as to how many people can get the virus through a single person. Still on the issue of symptoms, an infected person without symptoms (at all or yet) is more lethal than a person who has already come down with the sickness. This is why, if we all see a person coughing or sneezing unusually, we will most likely take cover and avoid contact. If, however a person showing no such signs comes round, our interactions will mostly be business as usual. So, in case you are still having trouble pinpointing how all the numerous cases in the most affected countries happen, consider the possibilities that these simple everyday practices can invoke.

Without sounding like an alarmist, – which I am not – and I kid you not, it turns out that the worst is yet to come. According to verifiable facts, before this is over, cases of infections and death from the virus has to peak globally and, i.e. it has to reach a maximum number of cases and then start dropping. For example, experts are describing peaking and dropping in this context like a normal curve (as shown in the image below). In most places unfortunately, the peak is still a long shot away, or we hope not.

To better understand the gravity, consider the fact for instance that, every new case that is discovered today happened about 14 days previously. It means, before a person really start showing symptoms, he may have already unwittingly and unwillingly spread the infection and the more people that are yet to show symptoms, the more the spread. 

It also turns out that asking people to stay at home is actually government's strategy of hiding the fact that they are neither able nor prepared to adequately deal with this pandemic, not now, not in the nearest future. So as usual, government is taking care of its business. Saving cost, saving resources, keeping things simple. It also turns out however that this is not only in the government's interest. 

To clarify, let us do a simple analysis here. We know that people getting sick from the virus are infecting friends and family members, colleagues, complete strangers and perhapd the most vulnerable are health practitioners. Let us consider the case of health practitioners. Health practitioners and all first responders all over the world are getting infected, sick and (can) also die from the infections. It can actually be hypothesised that the ones really at risk are these responders. Going by some other verifiable facts, most facilities are running out of supplies and a good number of responders have either called in sick or become infected and died. So, if governments are advising that we stay at home so that we do not escalate the current situation, maybe they are protecting their medical workforce by trying to reduce pressure on these individuals and reduce exposing them to more risk. We can equally ask: is the frenzy about saving gloves and face masks, is it about saving the doctors and nurses and responders or is it about not biting the fingers that feed us? We can engage in an endless debate about the why or what or who staying at home will help or we may ponder over the fact that all those governments that sing war songs and claim to be ready for the worst are apparently not really for anything, they have no adequate resources to handle a massive outbreaks anywhere not even in the UK or US. Ultimately, it turns out that asking people to stay at home and not spread the infection further is in the interest of everyone and beyond saving resources, government may also be saving lives.

I'm sure you're thinking: what about China? Did China not deal with it recently? Well, wait for this: no country has what China has and only a handful of countries can do what China did without serious repercussions. I’m sure you will have heard of the conspiracy around China’s claims. As such it is neither the correctness nor the wrongness of these claims nor the pound a penny conspiracies that I worry about. What I seek to do is to simply ask: if your elder brother or the super hero who you brought to beat a person that bullied you is advising you to forgive your bully and go home, do you think you need a better or safer advise?

Back to the Chinese and the Chinese government’s uniqueness and how. Not only does China have the largest population, Chinese laws also allow the Chinese government to monitor almost every activity of almost all living things in China any time, any day. Chinese government also collect and use data about every citizen including their biodata, phone details, social media presence, moment by moment movement, shopping history, medical conditions and, in fact everything (except may be in the case of a few privacy that upholds human dignity).

Going by popular narratives about China, the Chinese government knows who every Chinese citizen is and who the inhabitants are; the government know who people relate with, where people are and most likely what they do where they do it. And like most of your banks do on your birthday or how complete strangers on social media send you random birthday greetings, government can send text messages to people's phone in China when the need arises.

For instance, if Mr Chi Peng leaves home by 8:00am, his building’s CCTV and security system will show that he has gone out, the government has this data. If he took a taxi by 8:15am and got off by 8:45am at his office and pays by card or an app on his phone (which is encouraged if not enforced in China), the government knows where he went and how much he spent. With this just two simple activities, the government has terabyte of data about and around Mr Peng. They know he touched the lift's call button (& how many other people touched it before & after him). They know if he sneezed or coughed in the lift and again, how many people used the lift before and after his sneeze or cough; how many of them sneezed or coughed before or are coughing now? The same is true about the taxi he took; who the driver was and who used the taxi before and after him and so on.

Now, imagine if Mr Peng or any other person who used the lift or the same taxi before and after him tested positive to COVID-19, the government knows their current locations, who they have also been in contact with and so on. They can simply send them text messages of what to do, where to go or to stay in a safe place till they are safely taken up for treatment or isolation etcetera.

Do you still wonder how they can claim to have handled the pandemic regardless of the conspiracies? Now, imagine the country where you currently live, what laws, data sharing, and citizens’ monitoring systems and infrastructures are available and are allowed by human rights legislations in your country? Now compare that to the Chinese. How close or should I rather ask, how far? I bet it is nowhere close but far apart. So, do we still think staying at home is only in government's interest?

Like you may also have heard, there are so many conspiracy theories about why we're being asked to stay at home including the most ambitious one (in my view) about 5G launch. Even with that, and if your answer to the above questions is yes, we'll if I were you, I think I'll think again. Here's why; consider this scenario. Daddy and mummy left home and leave no food for the kids. The kids therefore sneaked out to get some mangoes from trees nearby. If a child falls from a tree and sustains fracture or dislocation, the parents will run around to get him treated, if they are caring. But who suffers the pain while the treatment lasts? Who will struggle with coping with orthopaedic casts and the physiotherapeutic sessions afterwards? Then what about the scar or the limp that the wound leaves behind even if it heals completely? Now what if the child's parents are not caring or are unable to help or have some other priorities? Would the child not have been better off not having the injury?

If the governments who pledged and promised to take care of us in any outbreak is hiding their unpreparedness to handle this pandemic and are now asking us to stay safe at home, doesn't that tell us something? 

I know again that we wonder what we will eat, how do we sustain life at home with limited to no provisions and other conditions that may not make saying at home easy. I know this puts a lot of people between the rock and a hard place. Yet again, I ask how would you prefer the story: as told by you or about you?

Someone also asked recently if the issues that may make staying at home only just started? If you complain that there is no food at home or there is no energy supply to keep yourselves entertained, did those conditions just start? I know just as you know that there are people in Italy and Spain who now wish they'd stayed at home or would have wished to stay at home if they could turn back the hands of time, if only they could.

In my honest opinion and in the verifiable facts available about this pandemic, the more we stay away from contagion, the shorter our stay will be; the more we take personal hygiene serious, the cleaner we will be and the more we stay at home now the shorter we will need to stay. Once those that may have contracted the virus stay at home, the nature of a healthy body is that it will fight the virus. The very many stories of immunisation – especially by inoculation – ought to have taugh us this. When people are immunised or inoculated, what is happening is that they are actually being given a form of the virus or diseases so as to ‘teach’ their bodies to recognise and fight the virus or disease by itself.

While I am not advocating that we get the virus and wait for our bodies to fight back, I am imagining how much lives, time are scarce resources we will save if we heed good advice in time and stay away from crowds and stop the chain of infection that will happen if people continue to mingle as usual. As ealier hinted at, the longer we take to heed and the more people continue business as usual, the longer we will have to stay, the only unfortunate difference at that time will be we will truly be willing to stay but it may come at a higher cost. The wise they say learn from the examples of others.

Like you, I hope this is over sooner than hoped and pray that we are rightly guided in our best interests and in the interest of humanity.

ASUP, GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRIALIZATION IN NIGERIA

Here’s a dialogue from a movie (“Wall Street Money Never Sleeps”). The movie is about the 2008 crash of the stock market in the US.

Jake is repeatedly asking Lews Zable “are we going under?”

Zable says “You’re asking the wrong question Jacob”

“What’s the right question” Jake asks.

In his answer, Zable’s right question is “Who isn’t”.

In our present predicaments as a nation, it is almost nature to see people asking which political party or aspirant is best? When is government going to listen to ASUP’s demands? When is ASUP going to call off the strike? Is anyone really asking the right questions which, in my candid opinion, is “what is really wrong with Nigeria?” Will Nigeria ever taste industrialization (again?)

Well let me raise a caveat here: answers may make you uncomfortable.

Recently, I began asking questions like the above. I also began seriously reading contents on recent spree of industrial actions. My intent is to understand how Nigeria might get out of the current situation. I also began asking and wondering if we are not unintentionally killing our chances of attaining that Nigeria of our dream. Then again I asked ‘unintentionally?’

At this point, it occurred to me that Fela might yet be right again as he once was (or always is) about the political intrigues of our first and second republics, “people wey no know dey happy, people wey know them dey look” meaning the uninitiated rejoiced while the initiated gazed on.

The country is “No longer at ease” and there might well be calculated schemes in place to really keep Nigeria and Nigerians like this. Far from the oft repeated aspiration to become a viable state, the country keeps heading south and further yet by the day. Otherwise, I dare ask, why did we not continue on the path of industrialization as planned and practised before the military boys got hold of power in the country. Or dare I ask again even where that may have set us back, might we yet not be on a good course were we to pick whatever was left of wherever at the resuscitation of democracy in 1999. In my answers I found that much unlike most developed economies that have attained development through industrialization, Nigeria may not be anywhere near industrialization or development or both. And this may well be self-afflicted.

Industrialization rides on the wings of education and technology. From Greek to Sparta; from England to Nigeria, education remains key tool through which society ensures its continuity. The idea, as Prof. Babatunde Fafunwa sees it, is to equip people, through education, with learning for better integration into and contribution to society. Technology simply describes know-how. And this, in education, is captured as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The world over, TVET remains a key catalyst for development, sustainable development if you like. Most developed economies, especially the first twenty with quite impressive human development index (HDI) have utilized (TVET) extensively. We are talking here about countries like Norway, Australia, United States of America, Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, Korea, Republic of Hong Kong, China (SAR), Iceland, Denmark, Israel, Belgium, Austria, Singapore and France respectively [Adapted from UNDP (2013) Human Development Report 2013. The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World]. It may be helpful to hint that HDI measures how much a country has utilized education to improve peoples' health and living conditions.

These countries have formalized and strategically incorporated (TVET) into their educational systems. Norway for instance starts teaching (TVET) to pupils from about age 8 and this goes on for about the next 10 years of the individual's education (through to completion of secondary education). Similar examples abound in Australia and Netherlands. In Australia especially, very strong collaborations exit between the academia and the industry especially in areas of curriculum design and the country's highly structured national apprenticeship schemes. Others like Korea and Japan have restructured their educational systems to reflect TVET’s relevance to industrialization and development. Such realities are yet utopian in Nigeria. This is not because we are incapable or not so destined. It is largely because such paths run inimical to the interest and aspirations of the few ruling class. And unfortunately, Nigerians keep getting diverted onto the other way. Each time these matters come up for discussion, our collective attention is quickly diverted to some arranged digressions and we soon get too carried away with these plots that we easily forget the big picture. We will easily remember the case of the oil subsidy loots and Lawan. When Lawan seem to be digging too deep for comfort, Nigerians were given a new fish to fry. Today, no one seems to be seriously asking what went wrong with the subsidy imbroglio. Similarly, when Sanusi raised dusts at NNPC, he got alleged of misconduct and inadvertently removed from the seat at CBN. Anyone that gets too smart becomes the bad dog and taking to the slaughters.

When the ongoing imbroglio between the Polytechnic teachers and the Federal government of Nigeria is put in context, I began to see why the ruling class in Nigeria may not do more than pay mere lip service to education in general and (TVET) in particular. Whenever such discussions are presented, government brings its habitual distractions and the chorus and beat changes. Is no one thinking of how to move this great nation forward beyond lip service? There obviously are people who sleeps and wakes with the Great Nigerian Dream. The only reason why they seem redundant or their seemingly efforts ineffective is that such persons often shelve the ideas in exchange for a slice of the cake or pay heavily for non-cooperation. In other words, Nigeria may never become industrialized not because we lack the capacities to so do. 

Nigeria may never experience development because underdevelopment favours a section of the population. It is a system that oils the wheel of prosperity of the ruling class in the LDCs. In such countries, these elements in power often create social systems that nurture and sustain poverty in the larger society. In this particular discourse, they cripple the industrial sectors of the economy. Experiences in the third world have shown how such ventures lead to thriving terrorism industries.

Where a nation has poorly structured or deliberately crippled industrial sector like Nigeria, she is left to depend largely on importation to meet her industrial needs. Yes, we may argue that fingers are not equal. Yet one of the ironies of life that what the bald misses on his head is often compensated with beard, or at least as is documented in Yoruba/ African proverbs. Natural endowments of nations often come in complementary bundles. Most nations will handle their relative realities relatively well in-house if they concentrate on their opportunities and strengths leaving their weaknesses and threats to be handled by those better at such. Relatively, equilibrium will eventually be attained where those other countries outsource their own weaknesses and threats.

No thanks however to capitalism (especially as practised in the 21st century) where nations strongly aspire to be the all-in-all point of reference; you either have all your need met by us or routed through us.

You might argue for the law of comparative advantage here but forget not that what the law really suggests is that countries specialize in producing what they produce better, cheaper or at relative low cost than others. Consequently, international trade occurs due to technological differences (and not due to abject lack of technological know-how) between countries. Instead of becoming ‘jack of all trades’ the law of comparative advantage hopes that such concentration will eventually lead to specialization.

The questions: what is Nigeria's specialization? What really is the nation's export earner? Or rather what went wrong? Neither should the truth surprise you nor should you need to search deep. The death of Nigeria’s industrial sector was rather calculated to meet the aspirations of the ruling class as indicated earlier.

 It is often common to hear propaganda on how massively Nigeria has invested in Agriculture etcetera. But won't you ask: what need serves agriculture etcetera when most harvests never make it to the market let alone make it to the export market? Rather than export for comparative economic advantage, most less developed countries (LDCs) depend largely on importation for domestic consumption. This is particularly in areas of consumption: food, clothing, and power consumption products. But then, importation is by no means child’s play.Until recently when China opened its doors to medium scale importers/entrepreneurs from the LDCs, importation remained for long, only a game of the affluent; individuals and groups who live or dine at or somewhere around the corridor of power. Such are individuals or groups who, through the right connections, as multiple connections and evade all duties and taxes for instance. Who can and always meet bank’s conditions leveraging on all and every state resources at their beck and call. Such are the individuals and groups who commissioned the death of our industrial sectors.

We will easily remember the case of the railway lines of yore in Nigeria and why efforts to revive it are moving at snail pace. Neither is the story of oil subsidy too stale to be forgotten. Majority of the beneficiaries of the subsidy are those powers that be (or their buddies) who got free oil blocks allocations. Such ones that have friends in the Navy and so could borrow equipment from their friend to lift crude; who have friends in the Army to escort their fleets through the creek to the high sea or those whose promises of returns can keep the ‘ND’ boys at bay; who have built (or have Nigerian friend who have built) refineries in Netherlands and elsewhere so that they can refine the crude at relatively low costs; who have contacts in the oil subsidy desk (who record 2 for every on vessel and) expedite the processing of their claims on return with the petroleum product; to be sold to their Perm. Sec. and local government career officer friends who own fuel retail stations or with the aid of their friend in the customs ‘export’ the product to neighbouring countries and later sold on highway shoulders at double the regular retail prices.

The story is same for virtually all subsectors in our national industrial life. The case then becomes that of the hoe user who naturally till towards himself. Or where do you want these free allowances to come from if the rail hauls heavy goods? What again do you expect to become of their friends who get the ‘road resurfacing contracts’? Nor is the failure of power sector reforms inspite of huge disbursement surprising. What becomes of the huge investments and gains there from in the importation of power generating alternatives that flood the Nigerian markets? Neither would it surprise you that key amongst items given by political as dividends of democracy at the grassroots as well as prizes to be won in contests is the generator. Nor should it surprise you that a new TV with rechargeable battery is available in the market.

All these are some of the reasons why the powers that be will continue to pay only lip service to matters of TVET in Nigeria. Another unhealthy reality is that fact that besides lip service, government really spend huge chunk of resources including money on these white elephant projects. For instance, through SURE-P, government has disbursed huge funds for the construction of medical facilities at the grassroots. In a recent interview, the supervising minister of the economy was challenged by a law maker on SURE-P. He argued that were there to be such infrastructure in his constituency, he would have known. All the minister could say was that she was speaking on the strength of the report submitted by their field operatives.

Neither will it shock you that the ruling class benefits massively from unemployment. For one it helps in the creation of the terrorism industry in most LDCs. It may interest you that most terrorists or those so described used to be members of some affluent individual’s private militia. Secondly, where industries and manufacturing concerns are scanty or completely nonexistent, graduates of technology scavenges for jobs in the ministries and such other places that seek to force their square pegs into round holes. They cause a stampede in these sectors thereby living those better suited for these jobs stranded. One reason why this is so is that because these technology graduates are ill-fitted for these desk jobs, they gladly accept meager pay packages where others will demand otherwise. It is often not because these individuals think low of themselves. Rather it is because there are not ready holes for them to fill.

Given such scenarios, all such monies like those spent through the Bank of Industry (BoI) for instance find their ways into private pockets. What would you expect? One, there are no industries where these funds can be invested and two incentives for entrepreneurs to initiate such on large scales to meet BoI’s standards equally end up in wrong unintended pockets; pockets of friend on the corridors of power to further fortify their importation empires.

This is why such common proclamations that blame the government are shocking especially coming from the academia. Such comments often cite the roles played by government in the East Asian giants for instance. I contend this position and submit that such propositions including those of the UNIDO and UNCTAD (2011, p.68 - 69) only work where public interest – and not self-interest – holds sway. Unlike in other advanced democracies, government in LDCs solely mean the political class. The way the political class emerges in these countries is nearly as simple as virtually buying their ways into power. This element of buying constitutes commerce and commerce presupposes that you seek gains fundamentally. Most prominently, such gains accrue from planned failure of the system. This is what is popularly called corruption in these countries. This is why these countries have poorly structured industrial sectors and are thus left to depend largely on importation to meet basic domestic and industrial needs.

Power is usually not given. It is almost always taken. With such political class, not much can be expected to start from the corridors of power. With not too impressive number of TVET stakeholders in government, the task to properly position TVET in the scheme of development in Nigeria lies on those stakeholders in technical education.

But a caveat is deems prudent here. Polytechnic teachers may well be on the verge of national irrelevance. You will hardly have the need for cobblers where people have no legs or don’t buy shoes. Where your products are less patronized, chances are that your shops will be submerged or closed inadvertently. The recent developments including the response of government to ASUP’s demands have shown that polytechnic teachers may not be the favourite child after all.

This is a call for complete redirection of our national energies to profitable ends rather than mere lip service to development and industrialization. While we may not fail to call on policy makers and implementers to revisit educational policies and programmes to re-address the TVET agenda, a more urgent call is necessary to TVET teachers to engage using technology. It is unfortunate to hear teachers of technology ask “what can we do” when they are the ones that supposedly teach these technics and vocations. It is only natural that they use it; it remains their only veritable battle weapon.

Discussions in the 21^st century have moved from the monologues that we have on our campuses to the social media.

Let Polytechnic teachers contribute actively through Blogs, twitter, facebook accounts and other social media platforms to the development discourse. Let them begin by cross-fertilizing thoughts, improving their knowledge base, collaborating on researches and projects, and creating a virtual TVET community that is well informed and speaks with a single voice.

The world is moving and it is riding on the shoulders of technology. It will rather be unfortunate that those who apparently give the TVET do not maximize its benefits. With resilience and through well-constructed and coordinated campaigns, the perception problem will be effectively handled when teachers of technology make unprecedented advances with technology and students break new ground putting learnt skills to productive use in their private and employment lives; when evident economic growth results from TVET graduates’ high productivity, employability and successful career progressions. This can eventually endear TVET to the hearts of players in the industry for strong productive synergies.

TVET teachers need to seriously get involved in the drafting of the TVET curriculum. TVET teachers often see the curriculum as instruction handed down by the boss when indeed they ought to be the ones to say what really matters. Who wear the shoes ought to know where it pinches. Collaborative discourses on self-created and self-moderated social platforms can generate such amazing contents that project TVET teachers into limelight.

Pursuing TVET is like killing many birds with a single stone throw. And the thrower in Nigeria's particular example ought to be the teachers of technical and vocational education and training. This change of role is essential because unlike in developed economies where public interest reigns, in Nigeria, public interest is almost always relegated. TEVT will expose the nation’s indigenous technologies to the global market place being the Africa’s commercial hub. Nigeria’s hitherto thriving but now slumbering indigenous technologies will be revived. This will accord TVET teachers respect and relevance in the nation’s developmental agenda. Thriving industrial sectors benefit all stakeholders. And the country is able to meet both domestic demand for manufactured goods and gain competitive export advantage. Such aspirations invariably shape public opinion and perception about vocational education and training. 

From Waste to Wealth: From Consumption to Sustainable Environment

From Waste to Wealth: From Consumption to Sustainable Environment

The environment – the ecosystem in particular – remains one of man’s most invaluable capital assets. Key realities of the twenty-first century like global warming, natural resource depletion, and environmental degradation are however indicative of the fact that we are fast loosing this great asset.

Poverty, like the environment has been with us from a very long time. It remains a reality that spans humanity’s history. Much unlike the environment however, poverty seems not to be going anywhere. Poverty is called by numerous names. Prominent descriptors of poverty border on well-being. Poverty has a lot to do with privation or not having. It subjects people to conditions of dependency – including dependence on others and the environment for survival. With the growing poor population and the fast depletion of environmental resources, our chances of living for today without compromising the chances of the future to do same is seriously challenged.

Conceptualizing sustainable development paints a picture of a living that ensures healthy and productive lives, that is in harmony with nature and one that is fair to current and future generations. In our contemporary example, sustainable development may denote persistent positive increase in basic growth indicators some of which are addressed by the Sustainable Golas (SDGs).

Environmental sustainability expects us to see the environment beyond being mere means to some end “but [to see it] as a trust passed to us by our ancestors for our benefit, but also to be passed on to our descendants for their use” (Weiss 1992, p. 19). Indices on environmental sustainability have always been based on population density, economic vitality, and quality of governance (Esty et al 2005). Inspite of efforts unfortunately, most LDCs are still coping badly with high population, rapid urbanization, poor infrastructure, lack of portable water supply, ill-structured drainage systems, poor housing and poor waste management systems with a substantive sector of the rural population yet not served (Dada, 2011; Gbadegesin and Aluko, 2010 cited in Shuaeeb, n.d.).

All these realities mount enormous pressure on the environment and are potent in subjecting people to poverty and consequently, underdevelopment. Attaining environmental sustainability and poverty eradication in the LDCs may well be something like painting the Forth Bridge. This paper looks at the possible connection between poverty, the environment and sustainable development. The aim is to uncover the nexus amongst these elements and to suggest how addressing one may help addressing the other from literary point of view.

The overall intent of Agenda 21 is to evolve “an effective strategy for tackling the problems of poverty, development and environment simultaneously should begin by focusing on resources, production and people and should cover demographic issues, enhanced health care and education, the rights of women, the role of youth and of indigenous people and local communities and a democratic participation process in association with improved governance”. In other words, the agenda suggest adopting a holistic strategy for ensuring sustainable development. The consumers – especially their waste output and attitude is the crux of this discourse.

Waste as an Attitude; Waste as an Output

The question is clearly not that of what we consume but how we consume. Wasteful habits or attitudes are almost in our nature. This is also a potential impoverishing life style; one that also degrades our environment and depletes our resources both in the short and long run. There is over-consumption for instance (Dickey, 2008) which according to Leonard (2008) is a plot to increase the wealth of the ‘corporation’ and ‘trashing’ our environment.

Surprisingly, vegetables represent the largest (45%) waste generated in the state in 2010 (Oresanya, 2011). Lagos is the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria. The statistics in other parts of Nigeria can be projected using these figures and relative to their relative configurations as compared to Lagos. Although vegetables portend less environmental hazard compared to plastic, the volume of vegetables ending up as waste could have been of some nutritional benefits to Lagosians. Shoppers request additional bags at tills, we find more excuses to read printed matter rather than other formats, we waste water, flair gases, waste electricity/energy, we do not car-pull thus putting enormous pressure on the road and releasing more carbon monoxide. Corcoran et al (2010, p. 9) have also observed that our present attitudes (to waste management for instance) do not only portend grave threat to our well-being  they also challenge our chances of success at reducing poverty and “sustaining the integrity of some of our most productive ecosystems”. All these and borrowing from Gosden (1995) prompted the earlier question: is the question that of what we consume or how we consume? Or is it either, neither or both?

On waste as output, we appear too busy consuming and embracing industrialization to reflect on the consequences of our actions. As a study in North America show, only 1% of the products we purchase remain in productive use only six months after production. The rest end up as wastes (Leonard, 2008). We have seen earlier how oil spillage stands tall among environment degrading wastes (Jike, 2004).

On plastic wastes, Adekunle et al (2004) observed that while packaged water is deemed highly desirable, affordable and handy, this consumption behaviour portends health hazards. Again, the environmental challenges of improper disposal of these plastic packages are equally environmentally undesirable (Babatunde and Biala, 2010).

Some thoughts

First, individual households and consumers need to adopt responsible behaviours like green consumerism. Green consumerism describes consumption behaviour that is mindful of the effect of consumption behaviour on the environment. This ideology also favours sustainability. But Green consumerism alone may not suffice except conscientious efforts at conservation are incorporated (Hardner and Rice, 2002).

Consequently, there is more need to intensify environmental awareness among the populace especially as it is observed that environmental consciousness may incite environmentally responsible consumption behaviour (Schlegelmilch, Bohlen and Diamantopoulos, 1996; Harvey Mead, 2007 in Dickey 2008, p. viii)

Secondly, there is the need to approach waste management holistically.  The starting point is to view every product as a potential waste. And to view every waste product from its life-cycle perspective (i.e. carry out a life-cycle analysis). This according to Dickey (2008, p. 5) entails “evaluating the environmental impact of a product, process or service, from the extraction of natural resources to the elimination of waste, including fabrication, delivery, product use and dismantlement of the product at the end of its life cycle”. Dickey’s waste product’s life cycle is depicted graphically below.

Environmental impact assessment as indicated in Dickey’s definition above is yet unpopular in most LDCs as indiscriminate felling of immature trees goes on daily with impunity in what is left of our forests. Same goes for environmentally responsible consumption behaviour. But we may however be on the road to some success in recycling. And we are not alone. Barr, Gilg and Ford (2001) have also found recycling as a favoured option in a UK study.

Thirdly and ironically too, besides conservation, with such waste output and attitudes observed earlier, potentials abound to escape poverty and improve our environment even from wasted resources. A key advantage of recycling is in its ability to turn waste into wealth. A few examples are shown below.

The conversion of red mud, a solid waste by-product of Bayer’s process, into one of the raw material in the manufacturing of Cement, is a good example of turning waste to wealth. It also reduced land and dust pollution and removes other logistic challenges of disposal (Balasubramaniam and Kumar, 2008). Janakiram and Sridevi (2010) have also shown how cow dung and other solid wastes of different proportions can be used to generate electricity as well as produce other valuable gases and chemicals including nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium. Ezejiofor, et al (2011) equally showed how seemingly common-place orange peels can become a resources with great potential for economic prosperity yet securing the integrity of the environment and improved health.

The waste situation in Lagos State observed earlier is an example closer to us. Much of Lagos State’s efforts are in the areas of waste recycling and waste conversion. Through a plastic recycling buy–back programme, plastic waste is pelletized and converted into waste collection bags. Other waste products are equally converted into compost (like Janakiram and Sridevi’s 2010 example) and organic fertilizer.

Through another waste to energy (WTE) project, gas capturing facilities are installed on landfill sites to capture and utilize methane gas which hitherto constitutes serious air pollution. These efforts are, as expected, not for nothing. Apparently, the state is on the road to cleaner environment. Besides this, by adopting a market based solution to waste challenges, much investment opportunities are thus created leading to gender empowerment and job creation.

Conclusion

It is shown in this paper that to sustain development is to – among other things – eradicate poverty and increase or at least sustain the integrity of the environment for our benefits as well as for the benefits of future generations. This is sustainable development indeed.

While we may look onto the government and foreign donors for help with eradicating poverty, much lies in our own hands (Kotler and Lee 2009). Poverty is a thing of the mind; to remove poverty from the land, it must first be pushed out of people’s minds. Again, as consumers, our role is critical in achieving sustainable environment or development through environmentally responsible consumption (McGougall, 1993 cited in Chan, 2001, p. 390). The charity of poverty alleviation thus better begins from home. It takes the adoption of poverty escaping and environmentally responsible consumption behaviours like reusing items (like shopping bags, water bottles, etcetera) that are still reusable; reducing usage of bio-non-degradable products like poly bags, water bottles, etcetera; reducing demand for printed matter where possible; reduce water usage/wastage; encourage and engage in carpooling; flair less gases, switch off electricity and other energy means while not in use, etcetera.

It is posited here that through such and other appropriate consumption behaviour and attitude, LDCS may well on the road to comfortably achieve sustainable environment and eradicate poverty.

REFERENCE

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Aluko, M. A. O., (2004) Sustainable Development, Environmental Degradation and the Entrenchment of Poverty in the Niger Delta of Nigeria, Journal of Human Ecology 15(1): 63 – 68

Babatunde, M. A. and Biala, M. I., 2010. Externality Effects of Sachet Water Consumption and the Choice of Policy Instruments in Nigeria: Evidence from Kwara State. Journal of Economics, 1(2), pp. 113 – 131

Balasubramaniam, S. and Kumar, R. V., (2008) WASTE INTO WEALTH, Light Metals, ed. David H. DeYoung, The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, pp. 25 – 28

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Chan, R. Y. K., 2001. Determinants of Chinese Consumers’ Green Purchase Behaviour.  Psychology & Marketing, 18(4), pp. 389 – 413

Corcoran, E., C. Nellemann, E. Baker, R. Bos, D. Osborn, H. Savelli (eds). 2010. Sick Water? The central role of wastewater management in sustainable development. A Rapid Response Assessment. [online] Available at < http://www.unep.org/pdf/SickWater_screen.pdf> [Accessed 15 April 2012]

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KEEPING COUNT: Writing a book

KEEPING COUNT: Writing a book: I've always looked at the way we use the social media and come to that spot where you really want to ask "are we really using the i...

Writing a book

I've always looked at the way we use the social media and come to that spot where you really want to ask "are we really using the internet as we really should?"


Take the example of wall posts on Internet social platforms and the array of information that exchange hand (so to speak) within minutes of the first post or comment and imagine if those efforts are really channeled towards creating something more productive like writing a book for instance.


Take an instance of a group of old school or college mates sharing pictures and stories from their college days and so on.
Think of what they may be able to accomplish were they to set out to create a memoir with the intent of (say for instance) capturing the nostalgic essence of their lives then, giving everyone the opportunity to say it as they saw it; telling the story from a participant's perspective and how, through placing such details on records may incite current students of that college to aspire to maintain the tradition and legacy or even reach for greater heights.