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Connecting The Dots From The Labours Of Heroes Past by Folarin Oluwatimilehin.

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   Punctiliously dissecting Nigeria’s antecedent history, it will take less than a split second to accede with me that the arrival of the Portuguese in 1472 fabricated mixed reactions from the vincible residents in the land.[1] Afterwards, a paradoxical leaping of joy ensued in 1914 when the Northern and Southern protectorate was amalgamated by Sir Lord Fredrick Lugard to give birth to the single geographical entity called Nigeria. To some, it was a great idea to unite groups of people with remarkable disparities in culture and religion, while to others; it was a decision without a vision.  Several years after the amalgamation, the quest for independence to experience governance devoid of interference from the whites was tirelessly pursued. At last, the victory came in 1960 when the green-white-green flag was raised, and the British flag was lowered. Unfortunately, after nearly six decades of freedom, Nigeria is now filled with problems ranging from uneven distribution of resources, corruption, naira devaluation, declining quality of education, and so on.     However, as an inquisitive young lad who enjoys hearing tales from my parents, I have never discounted the uniqueness of Nigeria cemented through brotherhood, togetherness, and unity. The nation is like an indescribable and flummoxed empire of species that have evolved over the years, learning from past and present predicaments to prepare for a future with great fortitudes.    Even though we seem to inherit a memory of both hope and despair, we must always review the lessons of history. We need to put on the garment of inspiration, bravery, and unity to navigate over the mistakes of the past, take wiser advantage of the labour of our heroes past, and envision the future we all desire with faith and optimism.    Just like the components of trees are interconnected in their functions for corporate growth, Nigerians need to continually come together and usher the land into greatness in unity. Becoming the chief-editor of Hands of Top (HOT) Club was a turning point in my journey of life. While trying to find stories to put on the club’s board as the yearly independence ceremony was fast approaching, I began to discover that the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain.     Unarguably, Nigeria is endowed with great brains that have the potential of keeping the nation’s economy at the possible peak. This was evident in 1976 when 60 kobo was exchanged for 1 US Dollar.[2] This outstanding feat that should not disappear too soon into the thin air. If the present leaders can go back to the drawing board, undoubtedly, the element of hope in the bright future of naira is unshakable. Even though the present status quo of Nigeria seems to be appalling, the undiluted desire to navigate our fatherland from economy retardation to an economy filled with ‘milk and honey’ is our watchword.   Furthermore, it is remarkable to recall that in the 1960s, Nigeria was respected for being the world’s leading exporter of groundnut, and interestingly, the second-largest exporter of cocoa and palm produce. Also, she was an important exporter of rubber in the world.[3] It is apparent that the nation has been rooted in a soil that has been watered by the blood and sweat of our ancestors, and as such, we cannot afford to lose guard at this point.  Without mincing words, Nigeria is a dominant promoter of literature in the continent. With numerous renowned writers such as Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Florence Nwapa, among several others emanating from the country, the rich literary history of the nation is unmatchable. Many a time, the green-white-green flag has gained respect from advanced nations due to the literature of these great authors that hailed from Nigeria. In fact, the Nobel Prize won by the indigene of the land in 1986 birthed many realities that have been attracting many citizens of several nations to come and learn from the prolific store of words and expressions with sparkling vitality Nigerians have to offer.  Further jogging down the memory lane, Nigeria’s involvement in making peace in West Africa and the world at large is worthy of tremendous commendation. In 2000, my nation remarkably contributed 3,404 troops to peacekeeping missions under the umbrella of the United Nations, making her to be placed as the second largest troop-contributing country after Bangladesh.[4] A Few years later, Nigeria once again successfully participated in the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL).[5]  As highlighted in the preceding paragraph, my nation had in time past, and will continually be instrumental in making peace in the continent and beyond. Neglecting the aspersions that is currently casting a shadow of incompetence on the image of the nation, truth be told, our confidence in Nigeria needs to gain wings to fly like an eagle. We need to connect the dots from the past glories and learn from present tribulations to create the desired future we all want for our dear country. The aforementioned achievement is just a tip of the iceberg of the great values Nigeria commands. Together, we can add more.  Together, we can cascade the state of the education sector to match the supremacy of the Finnish education system notable for having a remarkable homogeneity of performance among schools. The Nigerian education sector must attain a feat that no country will be able to stand. Having schools with extremely low differences among the lower and upper-performing students is what we all desire.    Together, we will continually gear our efforts towards making Nigeria an indomitable and unmatchable nation. Together, we can solve the recurrent problem of epileptic and erratic power supply facing the nation. Together, we can trigger the rebuilding of Nigeria’s failing infrastructural system, revamp the health sector, and empower millions of youth and able-bodied citizens to reduce the rate of unemployment in the land.  The economy of Nigeria must flourish, and take the lead among the African nations, and the world at large.    Though we cannot predict the future, we can write and change it with what we do now. The past is not ours to mend but the future is ours to look forward to. My efforts and your efforts needed in connecting the dots to restore the sense of pride in things that will elevate the nation to be one of the greatest republics in the world is vital. Undoubtedly, the nation we all desire is whatever we make it. It is not a matter of coincidence, but a result of the choice we make.     The unrelenting efforts to succeed despite all odds will perpetually strengthen our hopes in the journey to greatness. The students reading with phone torch or shades from lantern to excel in Nigerian universities, and later proceed to Imperial College, Harvard, Cambridge, among many other top-notch higher institutions to set records

Blog, Essays, Monishots

The minimum wage palaver.

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To all you who believe we shouldn’t have a minimum wage — that the minimum amount you can be paid should be determined solely by your employer. We tried it once before: it was called SLAVERY ~Quentin R. Bufogle Analyzing the absurd in Nigeria is like trying to crack open a palm nut with an egg: fascinating but futile — yet time and again one is brought back to the same place by the seeming indifference of our leaders towards the daily struggles of the average Nigerian. Where will I start analyzing the fact that the so-called ‘Giant of Africa’ is still grappling with a minimum wage of $50 whereas poorer neighbouring countries like Cameroon and Chad have minimum wages of $75 and $115 respectively? Going by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s definition, a minimum wage is “the lowest wage that an employer is allowed to pay the employee, the price floor below which workers may not be willing to sell their labour”. In arriving at the figure consideration must be given to the prevailing inflationary trend, cost of living index and the employer’s capacity to pay the amount. It can, therefore, be deduced from the foregoing that any wage which falls below the minimum wage cannot guarantee a decent living for a worker or an employee. In other words, any worker that does not receive up to such stipulated amount after rendering services is more or less a slave. Last Sunday my Goddaughter popped in to say hi, she informed me that she has started work in a shop where she will be earning over €200 monthly for putting in a total of just 32 hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Add that to the pecks of child benefits accruing to her from the social welfare office and it will sum up to about €400. That is five times more than the N30,000 minimum wage that the government has agreed with the Nigerian Labour Congress. And she’s only 16! I am not one to compare Nigeria with ‘saner climes’ because even though I live in and feel both worlds I have always maintained that there is no magic wand to Uhuru in a developing nation which has been pauperized by decades of misrule from monumentally corrupt and visionless leaders. I am also an optimist, sincere optimism requires an appreciation of the rot to have realistic expectations of what is attainable but I just couldn’t help imagining how a €400 monthly salary will transform the life of an average Nigerian worker. Nevertheless, for the purpose of this piece, I will limit the juxtaposition to Africa. In 2016 the World Bank through its World Developers Indicators (WDI) released data which revealed that among a sample of 19 African countries, Nigeria was a runner-up from the bottom position (beating only Malawi) in the minimum wage rate addition but ranked 11th in the inflation rate (14.32%). Two years on the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) put the inflation rate in the second quarter of 2018 at 11.23% with the exchange rate of Naira at approximately N362 in the parallel market. However, despite the gradual decline in the inflation rate witnessed since the last quarter of 2017, as an import-dependent nation, the over 100% increase in exchange rate actuated an increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is the weighted average of prices of consumer goods and services resulting in a huge reduction of the naira’s purchasing power. What all these jargon mean in layman’s terms is that the current value of N30,000 is less than what it was 3 years ago. As a matter of fact, the N30,000 minimum wage is more or less meaningless, it was long overdue even in 2015 and that prompted many economists to propose an amount ranging between N50,000 to N65,000 considering the prevailing indices or parameters. Paradoxically, one can equally understand those who objectively queried the verisimilitude of implementing the above figure or even the agreed N30,000. So how realistic and achievable is it in the face of the country’s current economic reality for workers to be paid this amount as at when due? Salaries still constitute a major part of the annual recurrent expenditure that gulps over 70% of both state and federal budgets. Moreover, 33 out of 36 states are currently owing workers arrears of salaries for up to 11 months in some cases going by what the NLC says. If state governors cannot pay N18,000 how can they scratch N30,000 let alone N50,000? Mind you this is in spite of the frequent bail-out funds doled out by the federal government. Certainly, a majority of the states cannot pay the new minimum wage as it is no secret that we have a serious problem of economic viability among many states. Are we then set for another era of random overseas trips by governors seeking foreign loans to cushion this pressure? And if the motivation is political for the federal government which retains a large chunk (52%) of the government revenue and recently weeded out over 50,000 ghost workers from its payroll, then how can it avoid a repeat of the Jonathan era mistake when the government which increased minimum wage could no longer pay salaries as oil prices dipped? Any government that borrows to pay salaries is tightening the noose and mortgaging the future of generations unborn. The situation is just a mess. There are more questions than answers. Ours is a country with limited social welfare and infrastructure, at N18,000 monthly the average Nigerian worker has been catering for feeding, clothing, transport, and shelter with only N600 daily. Isn’t that a miracle in a place where rent is paid annually and two years in advance for a new tenant? I think it is. Some have argued that service delivery is nothing short of pathetic and that most of our civil servants are idle servants who do not put in commensurate work to their wages. Yes, I agree. Our public institutions are notorious for being unkempt and often under-equipped working

Blog, Essays

Nigerian children recount the challenges they face working in a city

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  Stories of children being used in Nigerian mines have hit the headlines. But this phenomenon isn’t uncommon. About 15 million Nigerian children work –- the highest rate of working children in West Africa. Globally there are over 168 million children, aged 5 to 14, that work. While most studies focus on child labour that happen in rural and agricultural areas, very few have reported the dangers experienced by children in urban areas of Africa where they work as street hawkers, hustlers, vendors and domestic servants. But in a rapidly growing society such as Nigeria, where poverty is widespread, child labour in urban areas has become a systemic avenue for augmenting parental income. Though it may build the entrepreneurial skills of youngsters for later life, it can have detrimental consequences. I set out to find out more about the lives of children who are working. Drawing on interviews with 1,535 children (aged 8 – 14 years) and their parents, my study documented their experiences. It showed that although child labour provides significant economic assistance towards the sustenance of the family, children don’t get a proper education and experience negative health and social consequences in the process. Working children Over half the children interviewed were female and the average age of all children was 12 years, though some were as young as 7-years-old. Most were engaged in sales (such as street hawking) and services (like car washing). While some of the children worked as much as six hours a day, the average daily hours of work was four. When it came to the parents, more than two-thirds were engaged in trading and services, the remaining 28.4% were employed in administrative and professional occupations, indicating more education. Regarding parental income, an overwhelming 8 out of 10 parents earned about 20,000 Naira (about USD$55) per month. Such low earnings mean the households turned to using the labour of their children to supplement the family’s income. Despite the economic benefits of child labour, the findings show that children face a variety of challenges in their daily activities. More than a third had experienced accidents involving motor vehicles. “John,” a boy aged 9, complained that: “I get hit by car and motorcycles when I want to cross the roads.” Surprisingly, 1 out of 7 children told our interviewers about attempted kidnapping. “Laide”, a 10 year-old-girl, narrated a scenario where two men wanted her to follow them by promising to give her 5,000 Naira (about USD$14). The study also found that about 1 out of 10 children had been subjected to rape, sexual molestation, or assault while on the streets selling foodstuffs and fruits. “Tayo”, a 13 year old girl said: “At times, some men would pretend that they want to buy things from me, but later would be touching my body.” “Kehinde”, a 14-year-old girl, said: “I was raped twice and became pregnant on one occasion by two men…My parents aborted the pregnancy so that it wouldn’t ruin my education.” Because children spend considerable time away from their family and household, about one-quarter (22.8%) reported that gangsters would invite them to join in their bad activities. “Tolu”, an 11-year-old boy said: “Touts and gangsters would come to me and ask me to smoke Indian hemp (marijuana). Sometimes, they would ask me to describe my house so that they can come to visit me and invite me to join them in their activities.” Almost one quarter (24.1%) of children miss one day or more of school each week. Moreover, 7 out of 10 of the working children attribute their poor school attendance to tiredness or sickness resulting from long distance walking due to their daily work activities, while the remaining 28% miss school because of their parents request that they should sell foodstuffs instead of attending school that day. This finding shows how child labour can have a detrimental effect on child health, which invariably affects their school attendance. When children do go to school, about half are sometimes, or always, late. When asked why they’re late, 52.6% cited child labour as the major reason. Another one-third mentioned tiredness or illness as reasons for the lateness. Again, child labour appears to have a negative impact on their punctuality which does not bode well for effective learning and success in school. Children were also asked about opportunities for doing homework after school. Just a little over 40% said that child labour does not hinder their time for homework. Finally, interviews with the children reveal that two-thirds do not have time for recreation, although the remaining one-third manage to play with friends during the time they are engaged in child labour. Child labour disturbs children’s leisure time, hindering their optimal social development which they get through interacting with peers. New policies I recommend that policies need to be put in place that reduce the number of children working in Nigeria. Policy programmes such as credit facilities, poverty reduction schemes, by creating jobs for adults, and the provision of affordable medical facilities would improve the quality of lives and, consequently, reduce the need for child labour. Existing laws should also be enforced, including compliance with the minimum working age and ensuring universal enrolment of Nigerian children in schools. Prof. ‘Dimeji Togunde, Associate Provost for Global Education & Professor of International Studies, Spelman College published this article on The Conversation.

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