Which way, Nigeria...

AWKA—A REPORT just released by the United Nations,
UN, on Nigeria’s Common Country Analysis, CCA, has
revealed a deeply divided society on the basis of the
plurality of ethnic, religious and regional identities that
had tended to define the country’s political existence.

The report also painted a gloomy picture, with most of
the development and social indices in the country
registering at levels unacceptable.
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 observed 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 read 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 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.

www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/nigeria-deeply-divided-says-un-report/

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