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Sustainable development in Africa via innovative ideas

Sustainable development in Africa via innovative ideas

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With a vibrant population and abundant natural resources, Africa is still on the lowest rung of development among the continents. This discourse charts a course of sustainable development for the continent

Africa, the second largest continent, has a rich history. It is home to some of the oldest human civilisations, with over 1.3bn people, according to recent statistics.

A diverse continent, with variety of cultures, languages and religions, Africa also has a vast range of ecosystems, from the Sahara Desert to the rainforests. Its diversity comes with abundant resources, both natural and human.

Fifty-four countries call the continent home. However, most part of the continent is underdeveloped. So many factors contribute to its underdevelopment. One might say that Africans are hungry in a land of abundance. This is true, for the most part. What is so striking about the African condition is its lack of development, despite its young, vibrant population and abundant natural resources.

Africa is home to 30 per cent of the world’s mineral assets, eight per cent of the world’s natural gas and 12 per cent of the world’s oil reserves. The continent has over 40 per cent of the world’s gold and up to 90 per cent of its chromium and platinum. It hosts the largest reserves of cobalt, diamond, platinum and uranium in the world.

However, according to the World Bank, Africa is the poorest region in the world, with over 41 per cent of its population living below the poverty line. Poverty is caused by poor infrastructure, conflict, corruption, lack of access to education and healthcare, among others.

 

Politicians as clogs

The political leaders have deliberately behaved like the proverbial ostrich; putting the head in the sand, and the rump outside. The decline of an entire continent confounds one’s preconceptions about human advancement. 

Speaking at the launch of Big Ideas Platform in Abuja, recently, National Vice Chairman of All Progressives Congress, North West Nigeria, Dr Salihu Lukman, said most of the challenges bedevilling the country are because political parties have not lived up to expectations.

The ruling party chieftain noted that since 1999, the country has not been lucky to have a clearly functional political party to deliver dividends of democracy to the people.

Lukman added that rather than invest in political parties, the politicians only see the parties as means to produce candidates for elections.

“Almost as a generation, we have focused more, at least since 1999, in candidates for elections, thinking that the most important thing in politics is to produce candidates, while imagining that once that is addressed, we will likely produce good leaders. That has, in turn, produced a lot of frustration.

“The big missing element is that, over time, we have failed to invest in our political parties. As it is today, we do not have any clearly functional party running its affairs democratically, in a way that citizens can access it, and when they become members, they can explore the possibility of emerging as candidates,” he stated.

Further, the continent has the lowest literacy rate in the world, and access to quality education is still a major problem for many Africans. This lack of education is a major barrier to economic development and social progress. The challenges remain substantial: more people are poor today than in the 1990s. Two in five adults are still illiterate, and violence is on the rise in the region.

The 2030 agenda for sustainable development aims at transforming the world into an idealistic state of peace and economic prosperity. But most of the world’s low-income countries have been struggling to achieve even a single goal, including the two key targets: eradication of extreme poverty and hunger.

 

Young continent 

Sadly, almost all low-income countries are found in Africa, which boosts a very large youth population.

Still at the Big Ideas launch, former World Bank Vice President, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, said with such enormous resources and youthful population, there is no excuse for Africans to be wallowing in abject poverty. So, she urged governments in the region to invest in youths and women.

“I have often said that, for Nigeria, there are three game-changers, which have been in great exhibition today. One is the young people. Africa’s mean age, or median age is about 18.6 years, compared to global average of more than 40. What that means is that this is the youngest continent.

“Africa’s young people are already showing the world that they can compete globally, despite some of the challenges that hold them back due to poor governance. If they find their feet, they can even surpass the ideas others put on the table. So, Africa’s young people have economically proven to be game-changers.”

 

Technology

Innovation is the process of creating new ideas or products that have the potential to improve people’s lives. It is a key driver of economic growth, and can play a significant role in helping Africa achieve its development goals. For example, innovation can be used to develop new agricultural technologies that can help farmers to produce more food. This can help to alleviate poverty and boost food insecurity.

She said, “The third factor is technology. Technology has been Africa’s most insignificant revolution. We did not participate in the Agrarian Revolution and we were not part of the Industrial Revolution. We were not really that much part of the early days of the Knowledge Revolution, but the Information and Communication Technology Revolution has been our first participation, and not even as a major producer of the ideas, but just a consumer.

“Yet, we have begun to learn how to participate in innovations within it. So, even if you are the most pessimistic person, you have absolutely no business leaving today’s programme without a boost of optimism, that with our young people and women, joined with the capacity that technology offers, we will definitely be the ones that will determine the 21st century.”

Also, the Executive Director of Women in Management, Business and Public Service, Hansatu Adegbite, stressed the need to have more women on the decision-making table, adding that “the cost of inequality is extremely high,” and Nigeria had been paying the cost for the longest time.

Innovative ideas birth more knowledge because knowledge is akin to innovation. An educated population will gradually imbibe good governance, and good governance enhances development.

Innovative ideas will foster the development of new African solutions to African problems, charting a course towards a stronger and more sustainable system that benefits all.

 

Way forward

There are many opportunities for innovation in Africa. The continent has a young and growing population, which means that there is a large pool of potential innovators. Innovation will launch new thinking and illuminate bold ideas that can enhance the quality of life in African communities.

With the right investment and support, innovation can play a significant role in helping Africa achieve its development goals. By promoting innovation, Africa can create a better future for its people and contribute to the global economy.

Additionally, sustainable Africa’s development is achievable, if Africans come together and amplify life-changing strategies to implement transformative ideas. Fortunately, some African organisations like the School of Politics, Policy and Governance have already taken steps in this direction. SPPG recently established the Big Ideas Platform, to facilitate the generation and sharing of fresh ideas, innovative solutions and implementation strategies aimed at addressing the continent’s challenges.

 

Last line

To sum it up, sustainable African development is attainable with effective implementation of innovative ideas.

By exploring innovative approaches, we can address the challenges Africa faces and propel the continent towards a future of sustainable growth, elective governance and inclusive development.

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Promoting visibility for women-led businesses

Promoting visibility for women-led businesses

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Introduction

The business life of every country is a crucial aspect of its economy. As anybody who has any understanding of economics would tell you, businesses are the backbone of the economy of any country.

From time immemorial, however, women have always played a part in the running of businesses; small or big. They have always helped their husbands out with the menial jobs, while some helped out with the business itself, though their spouses took the benefit.

However, history, until recently, has not recorded many successful female business owners. Though our society today allows it and even, to some extent, encourages it, women do not yet seem to have the visibility that their male counterparts enjoy.

Now, while there might be many reasons for this, the question is, what can be done to promote women’s visibility for women-led businesses? The following are some suggestions:

 

Encourage women participation in business

The first route to visibility in the business place for women is their participation. The fact out there is that there are many areas of life where women generally find more comfortable or fulfilling to participate in, and in most cases, it is not the business world. So, the first step is to encourage women participation in business by promoting its advantages and the impact it can have in their lives.

 

Business education 

The next thing after encouraging women participation in business is educating them on what it means and what it takes to run a successful business. Many people in the society, not just women, do not have the proper knowledge of how to run a business. If women are taught that, they will definitely gain momentum in business.

 

Right business orientation

Again, for many women in business, the mindset is to just run a small business that will cater for the needs of their immediate families and, of course, pay bills. This is a wrong mindset for which a re-orientation is needed because, with this mindset, there is a limit to what you can achieve because you wouldn’t even let yourself attain greater heights.

How then can you be seen beyond your immediate environment, if not by growing? The idea in running a business should be for it to grow as much as possible and be known in the business world.

 

Give them credit

When you patronise a business run by a woman and it so happens that the services are top-notch, you can promote the visibility of the business by mentioning them publicly and recognising their work. This has two effects, first of which is that it serves as commendation for the business and ultimately its owner, who is doing well; second, it serves as an advertisement of the services to the public.

 

Creation of women business networks

It is said that a tree does not make a forest. This saying applies in this context because there are certain very visible and powerful businesswomen in the world today, but they are few and far between. While their businesses might be visible, the others owned by other women might not be as visible. The solution to this challenge is the creation of women business networks, where they can refer businesses to themselves, sponsor one another and, most importantly, patronise one another. By doing this, the network becomes more powerful and ultimately more visible.

 

Conclusion

It is understood that women face a lot of challenges in the area of business. These challenges are both societal and personal. However, there is no challenge that is impossible to surmount once there is the determination to do so. The above are just some tips on how visibility can be achieved by women in business.

At Creativespace, one of our initiatives, GoDo Hub runs series of programmes that are geared towards promoting women-led businesses.

 

We are open for partnerships, donation, sponsorship and collaboration. You can reach us via

Call: +234 909 990 0115

E-mail: [email protected]

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Enter the new HIV test kit

Enter the new HIV test kit

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RAHEEMAH AROGUNDADE, in this feature, discusses the simplicity and confidentiality of the new test kit for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus
The numbers

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus is one of the widespread diseases that have resulted in high mortality rate in the world. Since discovery in 1983, about 75m people have been infected globally, with about 32m deaths, according to the World Health Organisation reports.

As at the end of 2018, 21 per cent of the world’s population did not know their status and about 37.9m people were recorded to be living with HIV globally. Of these, 36.2m were adults, while 1.7m were children.

 

A global epidemic

HIV has become one of the most challenging public health issues in the world. The burden and scope of the ‘global epidemic’ varies considerably according to regions and countries, but WHO reports that a larger percentage of infected people are found in Africa, with nearly one in every 25 adults (3.9 per cent) living with HIV and accounting for more than two-thirds of the people living with HIV worldwide. However, reports show that a vast majority of HIV patients are located in low and middle income countries with an estimated 68 per cent living in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS reports that about 1.9m people are living with HIV in Nigeria. Sadly, Nigeria happens to be the second country in the world to record the highest number of the epidemic. As at 2019, results from UNAIDS showed that Nigeria had a 1.4 per cent HIV prevalence, which is considerably an improvement when compared to the previous estimate of 2.8 per cent.

 

Mortality dims

Speaking in Abuja last year, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari noted that fewer people were living with the virus in the country, indicating that Africa’s most populous country made significant progress in the fight against the spread of HIV.

“For the first time, the end of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome as a public health threat by 2030 is truly in sight for our country. I urge us all not to relent but to increase the momentum. Let us work collectively and push for the last mile,” he said.

In the last couple of years, a lot of energy has been channelled into creating awareness about HIV; people are encouraged to go for tests, so their status could be determined much earlier and for Anti-Retroviral Therapy to begin, where applicable. Organisations, local and international, have established free test centres in every country to facilitate early detection.

 

Stigma

The ART protects infected people from illness and prevents further transmission of the disease to others. Early diagnosis of HIV should be combined with improved prevention, treatment and care. Sadly, people who test positive to the virus always face stigma in their immediate communities, hence the reluctance to disclose their status. Even after diagnosis, some patients would prefer to ignore the reality of their ill-health. Rather than go to the hospital for treatment, they would prefer to live with the illness, knowing well that if people around them got to know, their relationship with them might be affected.

The commitment of international organisations, country-specific government, non-governmental organisations and other health bodies to prevent new HIV infections and ensure that infected patients get access to treatment is visible. Provisions have been made for test centres where people can check their status at relatively no cost. A lot of awareness programmes have been organised, targeting every segment of the population to educate them about the disease, to avoid stigmatisation.

 

Treatment

HIV drugs are also made relatively affordable to encourage early treatment and reduce mortality rate. However, before treatment can commence, screening is essential first step to take. HIV screening is therefore a gateway to prevention, treatment, care and support services. With the prevalence of the HIV and the efforts being made to curb the spread as well as treat infected patients, greater percentage of the Nigerian population are still ignorant of their status. Efforts are still being geared towards the availability of recommended test centres and counselling sites.

However, a significant milestone has just been reached. Nigeria’s Ministry of Health, through the National AIDS and STDs Control Programme, confirmed the efficiency of a new HIV self-test kit for use in Nigeria after recognising its ability to identify and detect HIV antibodies with a 98.4 per cent specificity and sensitivity.

 

The kit

NASCP was instituted to complement efforts by the ministry of health towards the fight against HIV and AIDS.

The product ambassador, Dr. Godwin Emmanuel, in a statement on Tuesday, November 19, gave a report on the OraQuick HIV self-test launch. According to him, the new HIV self-test kit known as OraQuick is certified by WHO, the United States Food and Drug Administration and Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. He noted that the kit was being used in over 50 countries.

His words, “As part of measures to promote HIV self-testing by the ministry, OraQuick HIV self-test kit was recently evaluated by the Federal Ministry of Health across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. This is in line with national guidelines to assess the efficacy of the test kits for use in Nigeria. The evaluation showed 98.4 per cent specificity and sensitivity to detect HIV antibodies I and II among Nigerians.

“This, therefore, affirms greater confidentiality and privacy from individuals who will purchase the easy-to-use, pocket-friendly diagnostic kit from a designated outlet. The self-run test can be done in the privacy of one’s home or other desired locations, without the knowledge of anyone.”

 

The 95-95-95 goal

Emmanuel agreed that a lot of people living with HIV in Nigeria were not aware of their status and that the country still had a long way to go as regards meeting the recommended number of HIV testing centres and counselling sites needed. He added that the HIV self-test had been identified as one that would contribute to the attainment of the UNAIDS global 95-95-95 goals. This implies that 95 per cent of people living with HIV should know their status, 95 per cent of people who know their status should access treatment, and 95 per cent of people on treatment should achieve suppressed viral loads.

The OraQuick self-test kit affords people the confidentiality needed to carry out the test, especially if they are anxious about going to a hospital or a public test centres.

 

Simple procedure

For the test, no blood is required. One only needs to put saliva on the palette and in a matter of minutes, the person’s status becomes visible. The result of the test is guaranteed, as it is being used in other countries in the world. It is relatively easy and simple to use and has been designed to be affordable to everyone regardless of social class.

OraQuick self-test kit is undoubtedly a welcome development and  a tell-tale of the efforts to combat the HIV epidemic.

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