UN Releases Worrisome Report On Nigeria

The United Nations, UN, has released a
mind-boggling report on Nigeria’s Common
Country Analysis, CCA, revealing a deeply
divided society with unacceptable indices of
development.
The report, which was read during a
consultative meeting on the formulation of
the UN Development Assistance Framework
IV (UNDAF IV) for the South East geo-
political zone in Awka stated that for
decades, different segments of Nigeria’s
population had, at different times,
expressed feelings of marginalization, of
being short –changed, dominated,
oppressed, threatened, or even targeted for
elimination.
The report reads in part: “Nigeria, with a
population of over 75 million, is the most
populous nation in Africa and the seventh
most populous in the world. Her population
will be approximately 200 million by 2019
and over 400 million by 2050, becoming one
of the top five populous countries in the
world.
“Nigeria is one of the poorest and most
unequal countries in the world, with over 80
million or 64% of her population living
below poverty line. The situation has not
changed over the decades, but is
increasing. Poverty and hunger have
remained high in rural areas, remote
communities and among female –headed
households and these cut across the six
geo-political zones, with prevalence ranging
from approximately 46.9 percent in the
South West to 74.3 percent in North West
and North East.
“In Nigeria, 37% of children under five years
old were stunted, 18 percent wasted, 29%
underweight and overall, only 10% of
children aged 6-23 months are fed
appropriately based on recommended infant
and young children feeding practices.
“Youth unemployment which is 42% in 2016
is very high, creating poverty, helplessness,
despair and easy target for crime and
terrorism. Over 10 million children of school
age are out of schools with no knowledge
and skills.
“Nigeria’s economy is currently in a
recession and it is estimated that
government revenues have fallen by as
much as 33 percent, which has further
resulted in the contraction of the Gross
Domestic Product, GDP, by 0.36 percent in
the first three months of 2016.
“The vulnerable macroeconomic
environment in Nigeria is affecting
investors’ confidence in the domestic
economy.” When contacted last night to
react to the report, federal government
officials said they where not aware of it
and couldn’t, therefore, react.
“Despite the fact that Nigeria is a signatory
to a number of protocols on sustainable
and renewable environment, the country
had, over the decades, failed to protect the
environment, ecosystem and natural
resources. Over-exploitation of natural
resources and pollution of the environment,
desertification are exposing the population
to vulnerability and risks caused by climate
change, among others.
“Nigeria is well-endowed with forest
resources, accounting for 2.5% of GDP. But
Nigeria has one of the highest rates of
forest loss in the world. Between 1990 and
2000, Nigeria lost an average of 409,700
hectares of forest per year on average
deforestation rate of 3.5% per annum.
“Increase in population, human activities like
farming, construction and cutting of trees,
use of wood and effect of climate change
lead to environmental destruction across
Nigeria.” This in turn leads to unpredictable
weather, drought and floods. The
implication of destruction of the
environment includes reduced agricultural
productivity, destruction of property and
loss of lives.
“Nigeria faces humanitarian and emergency
crises of considerable proportions fueled by
a combination of factors including climate
change, inter-communal conflicts and
violence, insurgency, recurring floods, heavy
handed tactics of security forces in
combating crime and insurgency. The
overall consequence is the situation of
systematic and chronic internal
displacement that has given rise to different
humanitarian crises that include the most
egregious and dehumanizing human rights
abuses.
“Over 80 million Nigerians live in poverty
and are affected in one way or the other by
the current humanitarian crisis. Available
reports indicate that there are over 3.3
million Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs,
which is Africa’s largest, ranking behind
Syria and Columbia on a global scale.
“The major challenges Nigeria is currently
facing that constrain her economic growth
and social development are lack of good
governance, general increased insecurity
across geo-political zones in North East,
Niger Delta and Lake Chad region in
particular. The situation is exacerbated by
the existence of systematic accountability
challenges, limited capacities of
independent institutions/ commissions and
limited accountability at the federal, states
and local government levels.
“Nigeria is a deeply divided society
considering the plurality of ethnic, religious
and regional identities that define her
political existence. Since independence in
1960, Nigeria has struggled to build and
sustain national integration. For decades,
different segments of Nigeria’s population
had, at different times, expressed feelings
of marginalization, of being short-changed,
dominated, oppressed, threatened, or even
targeted for elimination.”
The report, however, recommended that
transforming and diversifying Nigeria’s
development paths needed a radical and
new approach, especially by investing in
people and in a strong more dynamic and
inclusive productive informal sector. It also
called for a design and support of joint
programmes to address good governance,
peace and security.