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A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities - Politics - Nairaland

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A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by spectroscopic: 10:07am On Aug 05, 2014
A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities

By
Spectroscopic

It is no longer news that several international agencies such as the UN have estimated that there would be about 9.6 billion people in the world in 2050. In Africa, the current population is projected to double within that time. During the period leading up to 2050, African countries would be the only ones growing in population; others would be nearly stagnant, stagnant, or in decline. Such decline is already happening in Western Europe and among the white population of the United States. It was also projected that by 2050, one out of three of the global workforce would be African.

Yet, these billions of people need to be fed. There is an estimate that agricultural production needs to be increased by 70% in 2050 to meet the population growth. Presently, however, the African agricultural system is very weak, and use efficiency of farm inputs is at its lowest in Africa, compared to any other continent on planet earth. This combination makes Africa the most food insecure continent in the world. Most African countries, even at the current continental population of about 1.1 billion, cannot feed themselves, let alone have surplus food to store or export for revenue. How will Africans, as things stand today, cope in 2050 when an estimated 2.5 billion of them populate the continent? It is bad enough now that one is often regaled with newspaper stories of parents killing their kids out of anger because one out of their many kids usurped and ate food meant for the entire family. There are also pockets of news stories of some Africans killing their relatives for stealing something as little as 10 dollars equivalent. Given such scenarios, one can only imagine what would be happening as the line-in-the-sand year of 2050 approaches.

Evidently, the low agricultural productivity in Africa is not due to lack of cultivable land. For example in Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia only 12% of the cultivable land is actually cultivated. Same can be said for countries like Nigeria. There is so much arable but unused land all over the continent, explaining the current surge by foreign companies and governments to acquire land in Africa. Between 2000 and 2011, Africa recorded about 948 land deals, covering 124 million hectares, which is larger than France, Germany, and the United Kingdom combined. These lands have been sold or leased to countries like the UK, US, China, South Korea, UAE, Saudi Arabia and others (see Figure; courtesy http://www.bqdoha.com/2013/12/land-grabbing-food-security-future-challenges-qatar). From that Figure, you can see that even Israel, one of the countries with the most unfavorable immigration policies towards Africans, buys land from the same Africa. Incredible!!


To their credit, I see these foreign African ‘‘land grabbers’’ as smart folks. The sold or leased lands are meant to be used to produce food that would be exported back to their native lands to satiate their own food or raw materials needs. The main culprits in this nonstrategic sale of African lands are Madagascar, Ghana, Ethiopia, Sudan, Mali and a few other countries. In Madagascar alone, the Korean Daewoo company bought 1.3 million hectares of land in 2009 in a deal shrouded by so much political undercurrents related to the ousting of the then President Marc Ravalomanana. Around the same time, Kenyan activists were having the fight of their lives trying to stop the sale of land to Qatar. In that deal, 40,000 hectares of land would have been given to Qatar, in exchange for a US$2.5 billion loan to build a deep-water port in Kenya. This is the same Kenya whose land is so agriculturally unendowed that only about 15% of the total land area is actually good for any agricultural enterprise.

At first, Africans enslaved their compatriots to the colonialists in exchange for token goods; now they give their land away to foreigners for money. Is this a new form of colonization? You be the judge. Nigeria did give some choice agricultural land for free or at ridiculous rental fees to the Zimbabwean farmers ousted by Robert Mugabe. Still, better to rent than to sell or lease (typically for 99 years). One hopes that Nigeria does not tread the path of land sale to foreigners. In spite of history and what could be learned from it, many of these land sales are shabbily documented and nowhere near being transparent, as suggested by reports from FAO, the World Bank, and the UK-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). The question though is what the revenues accruing from these sales have been used for. Could they have already ended up in the private pockets of African leaders? Sadly, in many cases, the traditional landowners were not consulted on the transactions, and no money was paid them for the sale of their land. What would they do in 2050 when hunger grinds their stomach so unforgivingly? Would they go berserk and attack the foreigners who now own their lands? If they do, what would be the response of the foreign land owners? Would force be met with force? The land buyers paid for the land, and one must honor contractual obligations.

Speaking of population growth, even in these dire times, many African men still marry more than one wife, with each wife producing up to five kids, if not more. Agreed, many other eligible bachelors and spinsters are staying unmarried for much longer due to economic reasons. But in certain religions and cultures, wealth and social status have nothing to do with the number of wives an African man could marry: even the poor can take on 2-3 wives; try certain parts of Nigeria for examples of this. Still, some men with just one wife produce six children. Pray, tell, why should any African, rich or poor, highly placed or lowly, have more than four children in these difficult times? Given a typical average of eight children by African parents of the 70s and 80s, and those before them, four children for a present-day African family would be a significant reduction, although two or three would be better.

At the end of the day, pummeled mostly by self-inflicted events and lack of foresight, a good swathe of the African landscape is littered with ill-fed, sickly, malnourished, stunted, ignorant, uneducated, uneducable and mentally and psychologically challenged population. Due to lack of adequate use of fertilizers in crop production, and thus, consumption of nutrient-depleted food produce, coupled with lack of money to purchase nutrient supplements, zinc, iron and other essential nutrients are lacking in most African diets, wreaking havoc on African people’s health and wellbeing. Some of the children raised in these conditions, when they do survive the low life expectancy prevalent in virtually all African countries, and being unskilled and uneducated, become easy recruits into crime and terrorism. This we see today in Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon, Central African Republic, and other countries where religious terrorism and other social upheavals are rife. How much more poverty-induced recruitments into nefarious acts would we see going forward to 2050? In Africa, you hardly ever hear of tornados, tsunamis, earthquakes, wildfires, brutal cold, etc. Of course, you hear of flood and drought in parts, but no more so than you hear of those two natural hazards in other continents. The question then is, if Africans cannot develop their societies in the absence of major natural hazards, how capable would they be to do so with, say, earthquakes becoming a regular feature?

So what measures could Africans take to ameliorate the impact of the foretelling situation of 2050 and beyond?
1. Africans must stop breeding like rabbits. They should incentivize, or where necessary, enforce their populations to reduce child bearing. They should take China’s ‘‘one family one child’’ policy as a case in point. They should take the present day increasing voluntary desire of Westerners (Americans and Europeans) not to have kids as another motivation.
2. They should reduce, and then finally, stop the dependence on foreign aids. Humans by nature do not value what they have not really earned. African countries have received huge amounts in aids over the past 50 years; what difference has it made to their average lives? Africans should, as a matter of urgency, look towards developing themselves inwardly; for no one will develop you for you.
3. They should invest in agriculture to increase food production, quantitatively and qualitatively. They have almost 40 years to do this before the ‘‘doomsyear’’ of 2050. That is a life time of opportunity.
4. They should stop selling their land to foreigners. They could rent land (maximum 10 years, subject to renewal after a use review process) and make sure food from the land is produced first for local consumption before export. They should ensure that at least all lowly workers engaged in the sold lands are nationals. The importation of farm workforce by these foreigners must be strongly discouraged, except at the highest professional/managerial levels. The land Africans are selling off today will come in useful tomorrow, should they fail to intensify agriculture now, and would need to extensify it even more in the future.
5. They should diversify their economies. For those who have it, soon crude oil will become unattractive. For example, the United States now has either reduced its importation of, or no longer imports, crude oil from Nigeria.
6. They should educate their population in different skills, for although it is projected that by 2050, one of three of the global work force would be African, to actualize this requires massive education and skills acquisition. At such critical times, and we are already seeing this now, no foreign country would need a poor and uneducated African who has nothing to contribute to their economy and society. They will close their doors on your face. The visa issuance process would be like going to hell and back.

The measures listed above are by no means exhaustive; there are a myriad other challenges, including corruption and lack of democracy, besetting the continent. The bottom line is if the 54 or so African countries fail to rise up to the challenge on their own terms, they might only have to depend on brutal alternative terms set by natural or man-made upheavals to help them resolve the problem of their ballooning, but significantly unproductive populations. Heaven forbid it, but such brutal options could include the population being drastically cut down by events of war, acts of terrorism, or other significant natural factors such as terrible communicable diseases of epidemiological proportions such as Ebola. The choice of the term is for Africans to make.

Speaking of diseases, the devastating aftermath of the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa directly puts Africa on the radar with regards to its preparedness to manage deadly communicable diseases. Clearly, despite Nigeria’s surprising success in containing its spread, the overall outcome of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa – one of the most important regions of Sub Saharan Africa - has exposed the rotten underbelly of Africa. It has shown the extent to which its people are capable of developing the know-how to solve practical problems. Ebola has been in Africa for decades now; yet Africans have lacked the will and interest to research the disease, in search of potential cure. There have been survivors of this disease in the different countries it occurred in the past, namely Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Surviving Ebola implies there is ‘‘something’’ genetic in the survivors that protected them against the disease. Why have Africans not harnessed the ‘‘Ebola survival marker’’ for medical breakthrough? Why have African governments and business moguls not deemed it fit to fund research in this area? Isn’t distressing to have to wonder why Africans seem unable to help themselves, and nearly always have to depend on the ‘‘white man’’ to do most serious things for them?

When the current Ebola episode is over, one only hopes that Africans would have learned something from it on how to be proactive in science, research and engineering for the benefit of Africa. I am an avid African who wants the best for the continent. But if African leaders do not discontinue from the current path of lack of vision and innovation, one can only wonder what becomes of the motherland in 2050.

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Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by spectroscopic: 10:07am On Aug 05, 2014
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Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by omongbatim: 10:18am On Aug 05, 2014
If you, a bunch of 54 or so African countries, fail to take these measures and more now on your own terms, you might only have to depend on brutal alternative terms set by natural, and indirectly, by man-made upheavals to help you resolve the problem of your ballooning population yet low productivity. God forbid it, but such brutal alternatives could include the population being drastically cut down by events of war, terrorism acts, or other significant natural factors such as terrible communicable diseases of epidemiological proportions. The choice of the term is yours.

Sounds a little bit alarmist but true. Nigeria's population is being decimated by Boko Haram, and now we have Ebola looming.
Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by omongbatim: 10:19am On Aug 05, 2014
Ebola was unknown in West Africa (WA) until early this year.
It has been in Central and East Africa (Congo and parts of Uganda mainly) for several decades. In these places it burns out quickly because it occurs in isolation from the big cities.

Unlike these places of its origin, when Ebola occurred in WA, it became more widespread and pervasive because of the way of life of WAcans: WAcans are unreasonably stubborn. When you ask them to sit they stand, when you say walk they run.

For example, some infected persons in Sierra Leone were reported to have escaped from their confinement back to their villages, apparently taking the virus with them and spreading it. Some of these Ebola escapees were ''recaptured'' back in Freetown, the capital of that country. In Liberia, despite warnings to keep away from bush meat, people still consuming primates.

In Nigeria, many of the people who flew in same plane with the dead American (of Liberian origin) who died of Ebola in Lagos are refusing to report for check.

Even if Ebola occurs in the US or Europe, it will burn out sooner than later because those guys know what they are doing. They will contain it easily.

Indeed, as we speak, the US government is already starting to provide funding for the potential new drug, ZMAPP, that appears to have worked for the two infected American health workers. The company in SD, LA is now starting to mass-produce the drug. The stocks of this company has surged at the New York Stock Exchange since the drug was used on these patients. Another set of millionaires are about being created. That is the spirit of America.

This Ebola case in West Africa (the most important region of Sub Sahara Africa) has indirectly exposed the underbelly of Africa. It has shown that Africans are incapable of any scientific achievement that can solve a practical problem. Can anyone show me one thing that an African (scientist, professor, engineer etc) resident in Africa has discovered, designed or manufactured that is of continental, let alone global importance?

As previously mentioned, Ebola has been in Africa for ages, yet Africans lack the will, ability or even interest in researching the disease and finding potential cure. There has been survivors of this disease in the different countries it has occurred. Why have African governments not deemed it fit all this while to fund research on the possibility of using these survivors to produce antibodies that can then be tested on model organism? Or, why have we not infected model animals with the virus, isolate the antibodies elicited by the virus and work on it further for possible use as drugs?

Why do we wait for the white man to do everything for us? Why are we unable to help ourselves? Shame on Africa. You are indeed a dark continent.

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Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by Francis5: 10:34am On Aug 05, 2014
Centuries ago Africans sold their own to Europeans
Then Europeans came and colonized them

Now Africans are selling their land to non-Africans
Soon they will colonize Africa again, this time including China and the Arabs

We blame them for slavery and colonization
Would we also blame them when they come to physically possess the land they bought with their money?

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Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by ChrisOD: 11:30am On Aug 05, 2014
Topics such as this are what we should be discussing here and not all these APC-PDP, Igbo-Yoruba, Nollywood celebrity thrash that saturate Nairaland. It seems that Nairalanders are incapable of any serious intellectual discussions.

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Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by ofeco: 11:52am On Aug 05, 2014
it is regrettably lugubrious that we (Africans ) are bereft of ideas, I feel pained by the fact that I cannot help out either, @ op what should we do?
Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by ofeco: 11:54am On Aug 05, 2014
it is regrettably lugubrious that we (Africans ) are bereft of ideas, I feel pained by the fact that I cannot help out either, @ op what should we do?
Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by spectroscopic: 12:01pm On Aug 05, 2014
ofeco: it is regrettably lugubrious that we (Africans ) are bereft of ideas, I feel pained by the fact that I cannot help out either, @ op what should we do?

Some possible things to do are outlined in the article. But note that the issues around Africa are multiplex with no single easy solution.
Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by AkinEgba: 2:05pm On Aug 05, 2014
Quite revealing. Never knew African countries now sell land to other countries.
Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by Adelaide2: 2:35pm On Aug 19, 2014
ofeco: it is regrettably lugubrious that we (Africans ) are bereft of ideas, I feel pained by the fact that I cannot help out either, @ op what should we do?

Not all Africans but many Africans in living Africa, especially their leaders.
Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by spectroscopic: 1:50pm On Oct 31, 2014
Surprised that few people are interested in this thread. Perhaps the title is not attractive enough?
Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by spectroscopic: 4:14pm On Oct 31, 2014
omongbatim:


Why do we wait for the white man to do everything for us? Why are we unable to help ourselves?

I share this sentiment too.
Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by spectroscopic: 4:36pm On Oct 31, 2014
double post
Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by OmoEziokwu: 1:45pm On Nov 02, 2014
How possible is it that this thread makes it to the front page?
Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by mikolo80: 4:11pm On Nov 02, 2014
ofeco:
it is regrettably lugubrious that we (Africans ) are bereft of ideas, I feel pained by the fact that I cannot help out either, @ op what should we do?
go to the farm
Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by mikolo80: 4:17pm On Nov 02, 2014
spectroscopic:


Some possible things to do are outlined in the article. But note that the issues around Africa are multiplex with no single easy solution.
very easy solution. Educated need to go back to the farm as well as manufacturing instead of piling on titles and 'qualifications'. Time to get stuck in
Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by mikolo80: 4:18pm On Nov 02, 2014
spectroscopic:


I share this sentiment too.
cos we don't want to carry last
Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by rocgirl: 12:59am On Nov 03, 2014
One of the most interesting topic I've ever come across in the politics section in a while!

I've always held the opinion that African leaders are a bunch of misfits that have absolutely no business been at the helms of affairs, that should at best be rearing cattles.

In several decades; that nearly most if not all of the catalogue of problems, Africa has ever been faced with, had been due to the bunch of corrupt, myopic, self serving and visionless leaders we've been having--is an issue to be so worried about..

Take for instance the terrorist attacks of 911. In nations with right thinking leaders, it heralded an era where proactive life saving and security measures were intensified to keep borders, seaports, airspace and airports safe.
Between that time and before the current spike in insurgency and insecurity in the continent, African leaders never took a proactive step to either prevent or cushion it's effects should it ever occur in their countries!

Fourteen years after 911, as it currently stands, after the seaports, most African airports are porous and are rated to be highly prone to successfully facilitate terrorist attacks of devastating proportions from start to finish!

Until we start having right thinking leaders, asking African leaders to take proactive measures towards all you listed could be likened to demanding for Mars and the Atlantic ocean at the same time--an act that requires foresightedness which these misfits apparently lack!
Re: A narrative on Africa’s denizens, land, food and socio-medical realities by spectroscopic: 11:20pm On Jan 12, 2018
OmoEziokwu:
How possible is it that this thread makes it to the front page?

Do the moderators even understand what is front page worthy material?

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