@ 52 NIGERIANS STILL WALLOW IN PAINS’ NOT BECAUSE OF COLONISATION, INDEPENDENCE OR MILITARY INCURSION IN POLITICS BUT BECAUSE OF THE NEGLIGENCE OF OUR LEADERS, AT 52 THE BASIC NEEDS OF THE CITIZENS STILL APPEARS INVISIBLE IN THE EYES OF OUR LEADERS. NO MATTER THE SYSTEM OR FORM OF GOVERNMENT, BE IT CIVILIAN OR MILITARY; SINCERETYAND PERSONALTY OF OUR LEADERS IS ENOUGH TO TAKE US TO OUR DESTINATION AS A NATION.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THE RIGHT MEASUREMENT FOR THE SUCCESS OF AN ADMINISTRATION IS THE PROVISION OF BASIC NEEDS FOR ITS CITIZENS. AT PRESENT, NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED IN THE ASPECT OF PROVIDING THESE BASIC NEEDS.
THE BASIC NEEDS OF CITIZENS INCLUDES: SHELTER, FOOD AND CLOTH. BASIC NEED REFER TO THOSE FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENTS THAT SERVE AS THE FOUNDATION FOR SURVIVAL. ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS IS NECESSARY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRONG NATION. APART FROM THE DAY TO DAY MEASURES TOWARDS PROVIDING THESE BASIC NEEDS, IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER, FOOD AND CLOTHING AS OUR SOCIETY TODAY IS BEING FACED WITH NATURAL OCCURRENCE LEADING TO LOSS OF SHELTER, UNAVAILABILITY OF FOOD AND CLOTH.
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT, LESS THAN 25 PERCENT OF NIGERIANS OWN A HOUSE’ AGAINST THE 75 PERCENT INTERNATIONAL BENCHMARKS, ABOUT 60 PERCENT OF NIGERIANS ARE WITHOUT ADEQUATE SHELTER (UNDER-HOUSED AND NO HOUSING) AND WITH OCCUPANCY RATIO OF 6 PERSONS PER ROOM OF 20M2. ON FOOD, THE SECURITY OF FOOD IN NIGERIA CAN NO LONGER BE GUARANTEED AS NIGERIA IMPORT LARGE AMOUNT OF THE FOOD IT CONSUMES, LEAVING THE COUNTRY TO THE VOLATILE INTERNATIONAL MARKET PRICE. AS WE SPEAK, NIGERIA SPENDS 1.3 TRILLION NAIRA A YEAR IMPORTING BASIC FOOD ITEMS LIKE FISH, RICE AND SUGAR. NIGERIA REMAINS THE WORLD’S LARGEST IMPORTER OF RICE FROM COUNTRIES LIKE CHINA AND THAILAND (2 MILLION METRIC TONS PER YEAR). ON CLOTHING, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 80 PERCENT OF NIGERIANS DRESS IN ILLICIT USED GARMENT AS GOVERNMENT HAS REFUSED TO DEVELOP THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY TO PROVIDE CLOTH FOR THE POPULACE AT A REASONABLE AND AFFORDABLE RATE.
THIS IS NOT TO CRITICIZE THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR PAST AND PRESENT LEADERS, BUT TO CALL THEIR ATTENTION TO THE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE BASIC NEEDS OF THE CITIZENS AND NOT DEBATING ON AMBIGUOUS ECONOMIC TERMS AND POLICIES, AS THIS IS THE FIRST STEP TO THE SURVIVAL OF HUMAN. IN THE ABSENCE OF WAR AND ANACHY, WE SHOULD ENJOY THE BENEFIT OF INDEPENDENCE (BASIC NEEDS) AND NOT PAINS. NOT UNTIL GOVERNMENT ADOPT THE BASIC NEED APPROACH IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO REACH EL DORADO, AS THE BASIC NEEDS APPROACH IS AN APPROACH TOWARDS POSITIVE AND GOOD GOVERNANCE.

BASIC NEED INITIATIVE
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