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. Vanguard
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