So you're here...Welcome!

Whoa! I’m so happy and indeed grateful to GOD that you made it to the last month of the year 2012. Congratulations friend!

Oh! How I love December-with that special feeling of love that comes with Christmas, the blissfulness of sharing and having fun with friends and families during the holiday-the month of December is such a unique one.

Interestingly, December starts on the same day of the week as September every year and ends on the same day as April every year.

December is the month with the shortest daylight hours of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest daylight hours of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.

Hmmm! It’s my prayer that we all find the relevance of a month like this and in all see in good faith later better.

I wish you the best in this new month-may it be a December to Remember…Welcome to the month of December.

Please drop your December Wishes, 'cos Santa will be here soon.

Cheers!
 

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TAYO ELEGBEDE JET

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL LESSONS FROM THE BRICS NATIONS

Towns and cities across Africa, Asia and Latin America have a wealth of lessons to learn from the BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – according to research that will be published next week (5 December).

The research shows how each of the BRICS nations has met difficulties as they have urbanised, especially when they have tried to resist the predictable movement of people into their cities, or have inadvertently steered people or enterprises to economically or environmentally undesirable locations.

But they also provide examples of how to seize the opportunities that urbanisation can provide.

“The route a country takes to urbanisation will have a big impact on economic growth, social equity and environmental sustainability,” says Gordon McGranahan of the International Institute for Environment (IIED) and Development, which has published the research in partnership with UNPFA – the UN Population Fund. “Less industrialised nations can learn a lot from the BRICS experiences – both good and bad – and so steer their own urbanisation onto a more secure path.”

In addition to the five reports on the way the BRICS nations urbanised, IIED and UNFPA will publish a synthesis report and policy brief on 5 December, and a more detailed book in 2013. The publications will be the focus of a 5-6 December meeting in Tshwane/Pretoria, South Africa.

·Brazil tried in vain to resist urbanisation. The result is that social inequalities endure in what are very divided cities, where the poorest communities are still poorly served despite sustained economic growth. Today, rising urban land prices prevent action to improve infrastructure and services. On the plus side, are the social innovations that some of Brazil’s cities have pioneered in recent decades.

· Russia highlights the importance of how and where urbanisation happens. While early urbanisation sparked economic growth, the Soviet Union’s break-up left Russia with poorly located cities that lack the infrastructure and economic capital to compete in the global economy. About 40 per cent of Russia’s cities are based on a single industry, and a single employer dominates in about a third of these cities. Russia faces hard decisions about whether the difficulties faced by flagging cities are inherent in their location, or reflect inappropriate governance systems or land use patterns that it can reshape.

· India has not yet come to terms with its urbanisation, and there are signs that, like Brazil, India is inhibiting rather than planning for it. India’s ambivalence is a threat to its economic success, particularly for poor people who find it increasingly difficult to secure a place in India’s cities. But India is at the earliest stage of its urban transition, and will hopefully learn from the experiences of the other BRICS countries. In particular, urban development could play a stronger role in alleviating rural poverty if society accepted and promoted the accommodation of migrants in successful urban areas.

· China’s story highlights the importance of taking urbanisation seriously in development strategies. Its radical shift from anti-urban policies to the aggressive pursuit of urban growth in selected areas dramatically emphasizes that urbanization can boost economic growth and reduce poverty. Yet planners must take account of the environment and social equality too. On the social side, China must address the limited rights of the third of urban dwellers who do not have permanent residence permits for the cities they live in.

 ·         South Africa’s racist policy of apartheid suppressed urbanisation for the country’s black majority and forced them to live at the periphery of large urban centres. The people there could serve as a cheap labour force as the country industrialised but could not enjoy the advantages that urban areas bring. More than 20 years after the end of apartheid, South Africa’s urban centres remain unequal and fragmented, socially and economically. The country’s prosperity depends on it adopting a more inclusive and integrated approach to planning and managing urban development.

“Despite the very different characters of the BRIC countries, their experiences combine to confirm the immense importance of finding efficient and equitable ways of accommodating urbanisation,” says McGranahan. “Several of the BRICS still bear heavy burdens from past failures to accommodate urban growth equitably and efficiently. Their histories highlight the need for pro-active planning.”

 

NB: This is a press release from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

Waste Management in Africa

Waste management in line with contemporary realities seems to be of huge concern to environmentalists as well as stakeholders especially in developing countries. This thought was loudly expressed by participants on the second day of the First Let’s Do It African Conference in Cotonou, Republic of Benin.

L-R, Muna, Julian

Speaking on the “Causes and solutions of problems in waste and sanitation” Muna Lakhani, representing the Institute for Zero Waste in Africa, noted that in solving the problem of waste management, the world would need to change its thinking.

He exposed that “80% of the world’s waste is produced by North America, Western Europe, Japan and South Korea who only account for 25% of the world’s population, hence, the rich countries are responsible for generating the world’s waste”.

Muna explained that with frequent exposure to plastic materials, human beings are at risk of intelligence, learning, and behaviourial disorder, delayed development of the foetus and children, spontaneous abortion, uncontrollable body size and shape, increase in prostate size which could lead to prostate cancer, reduction in sperm count, amongst others. This he said, is due to the chemicals utilized in the production of plastics, which are hazardous to human health.

 

He advocated the Zero Waste Agenda for Africa, noting that Zero Waste is an ethical, economical, efficient and visionary goal that guides people to emulate sustainable natural cycles in which all discarded materials become resources for others. He also identified two factors critical for a good zero waste system viz: A good policy that is implemented and enforced and a regulated minimum price for recyclable material.

On a final note, Muna noted that if Africa and the World at large can make efforts in stopping the production of waste instead of seeking ways to manage and clean up the generated waste, then the world will be more sustainable.  

Muna’s three hours section was concluded loads with interesting and intelligent questions on waste management and recycling programmes…

Click here for more info

BIENVENU!

Message from The Chief Motivator of Let's Do It World

                                            Rainer Nõlvak,  Let's Do It World

Scenes from Day 2 of Let's Do It Africa

It's two days into the First African Conference for Let's Do It World, holding in Cotonou, Benin Republic. Right here, Africans are delibrating on sustainable methods of managing waste in the 21st century. To have a sight and feel of what the conference is, here are some pictures for your pleasure...ENJOY! 

Conference in progress

Cross Section of Participants

Beninese Cultural Dancers

Political Dignitaries

Let's Do It Africa

Green Queen of Estonia, Nigeria & Ghana(L-R)

Nigerian Alex Akhigbe, during a presentation.

Let's Do It Africa

Listening to German Ambassador in Benin, Hans Jorg Nuemann

 

 Merci...do look out for more!

LET'S DO IT AFRICA

“Every individual deserves a clean environment”. That was the climax of the opening speech delivered by the representative of the Benin Ministry of Environment, Mr Oliver Paraiso at the First African Gathering of Let’s Do It World in Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin Republic.

The three-day conference theme: The challenges towards environmental sustainability: Hygiene and Sanitation, has in attendance representatives from over 20 African countries, who will be brain-storming on ideas for waste management, the role of the civic action whilst proffering solutions to hygiene and sanitary challenges in Africa.

Welcoming participants to the conference, Mr Oliver Paraiso, noted that African countries need to arise to the task of ensuring and maintaining clean and healthy society.




According to the German Ambassador in Benin, Hans Jorg Nuemann, government should formulate and implement policies that will facilitate environmental sustenance while individuals and private agencies should take care of their immediate environment .



Let’s Do It World is a civic movement concerned with reducing the over 300 million tons of illegal garbage lying around in the world through massive cleanup actions. At the moment, about 96 countries of the world are a member of Let’s Do It World.

The conference starting today, Monday 19^th, will run through till Wednesday, 21th November, 2012 in the serene environment of the Cotonou, Benin Republic.

Gender Inequality: The Nigerian Case

Women are more than fifty percent of the world’s population. They perform two-third of the world’s work, yet receive one-tenth of the world’s income and own one-hundredth of the world’s property.  They represent a staggering seventy percent of the world’s one billion poorest people. This is a stack development reality for our world.

My country-Nigeria, has the highest population of any African country. With a population of over 162 million, Nigeria is ranked the world’s seventh most populated country. Of this magnitude, forty-nine percent are female; some 80.2 million girls and women. Comparatively, thirty-eight percent of women in Nigeria lack formal education as against twenty-five for men and only four percent of women have higher education against the seven percent of their male counterpart. Nigeria ranks 118 of 134 countries in the Gender Equality Index.

Commenting on the fore, it is apparent that no appreciable development can be made either at the local, national or international platform without recognising girls and women as equal players in the game of life whilst empowering, up-skilling and investing in them for a better world. “When we empower women, we empower communities, nations and entire human family” un Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

We live in a world where majority of girls and women face real-time poverty, gross inequality, molestation and injustice, which could run through from birth to death. From poor education to poor nutrition to violence and brutalization to vulnerable and low pay employment, the sequence of discrimination and atrocities a woman may suffer during her entire life is unacceptable but all too common in our global society.

In her assessment of gender inequality, Nigerian Ambassador to the UN, Joy Ogwu, rightly noted, “It is about having half of humanity participate. The progress of women means…the progress of the world”.

Undoubtedly, Nigeria and the World at large has in the last decade witnessed an unprecedented expansion of women’s rights, being one of the most profound social revolutions the world has ever seen. Couple of decades back, only two countries allowed women to vote. Today, that right is virtually universal. Millions of men and women around the world now support the call for gender equality although there is much to be done especially in developing countries like Nigeria.

Reviewing the UK Department for International Development (DFID), 2012 Gender Report in Nigeria, “Nigeria’s 80.2 million women and girls have significantly worse life chances than men and also their sisters in comparable societies”. This reveals the neglect of the Nigerian people and government in tackling the issue of gender inequality despite calls from various quarters.  It also brings to bare our frail understanding of preparing the girl child for tomorrow’s motherhood, family and societal challenges.

The report which succinctly stated that “Women are Nigeria’s hidden resource”, exposed that over 1.5 million Nigeria children aged 6-14(8.1%) are currently not in school, a situation which has effortlessly earned Nigeria the world’s largest out of school children country-an unfortunate achievement of a robust nation. “In eight Northern States, over 80% of women are unable to read (compared with 54% for men). In Jigawa State, 94% of women (42% of men) are illiterate”. Apparently, we have failed to realize that just a few investments have as large a payoff as girls’ education.

Some traceable factors to this ill-starred development include lack of funds resulting from wide-spread poverty, traditional and religious inclinations which place low priority on educating the girl child, non-provision of educational facilities by government, poor funding of the educational sector, weak educational policies, early marriage, early childbirth, poor sanitation, ignorance amongst others.

“Nigeria has one of the lowest rates of female entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of women are concentrated in casual, low-skilled, low paid informal sector employment. Only 15% of women have a bank account”. Educating and empowering the girl child implies preparing her for future motherhood challenges that will in the nearest future affect a family and the larger society either positively of negatively.

The huge geographical and ideological disparities of Nigeria, makes her a unique country with though global yet slightly peculiar challenges and opportunities, even as it relates to gender inequality. Human development outcomes for girls and women are worse in the northern part of the country where poverty levels are sometimes twice as high as in the south. Nearly half of all children under age five are malnourished in the North-East, with the figures expected to increase across the country in the wake of national and international food crises.

On maternal mortality, the 2012 DFID Gender Report in Nigeria, noted that Nigeria has one of the highest rate of maternal mortality in the world, a case where in every ten minutes, one Nigerian women dies in childbirth. With about forty-seven percent of Nigerian women being mothers before the age of twenty, the report cautioned that without access to safe childbirth services, adequate and affordable emergency obstetric care, improved healthcare funding, enormous political will and civil society pressure, Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate could double from its current 545 deaths per 100,000 live births. Note, “Every 90 seconds of every day, a woman dies in pregnancy or childbirth”, world over.

“Women around the world are dynamic leaders and powerful advocates of change. But space for their leadership and broader social and political participation remains constrained. By mid-2011, only 28 countries could claim that women’s parliamentary representation had reached a critical mass of 30 percent or more. Only 19 women were leading their countries as elected heads of state or government”.

In Nigeria, only 25 out of the 360 members of the Nigerian House of Representatives being women and only about 4% of local government councilors are women, confirming that “women are under-represented in all political decision making bodies and their representation has not increased since the inception of democratic rule”.

This could perhaps be an explanation for Nigeria’s low investment in sections that are crucial to human development outcomes such as health and education.

It is pertinent to note that the quality of our democracy, the strength of our economies, the health of our societies and the sustainability of peace —are all undermined when we fail to fully tap half of the world’s talent and potential. Where women have access to secondary education, good jobs, land and other assets, national growth and stability are enhanced, and we see lower maternal mortality, improved child nutrition, greater food security, and less risk of HIV and AIDS.

In a society like ours, violence against women and girls cannot be ignored though it is being ignored. “One in three of all women and girls aged 15-24 have been a victim of violence. Women who have never married are more likely to have been attacked than married women. Up to one third of Nigerian women report that they have been subjected to some form of violence. One in five has experienced physical violence”.

Rape, sexual insult and assault, brutalization and molestation, domestic violence on girls and women have in recent time upsurge in Nigeria, with victims feeling embarrassed to report such incidence to the right agencies for justice. However, kudos must be given to some individuals, civil society and media organizations  that have continually been campaigning against violence on the female folk, though, there is more to be done noting that women and girls pay an unjustifiable price for violence and discrimination, but they do not do so alone.

The United Nation Women says “Ending violence against women requires know-how”. The know-how of judicial and health processes. In her words, Karen Valero, Colombia said “I dream of a world where women are free from domestic violence…Everyone is equal. We have the same rights in every way”

Curbing and stopping violence against women requires the creation and passage of laws regarding such violence, adopting action plans and budgets to implement legislation, instituting prevention programmes and protection services for women survivors, and campaigning to raise awareness whilst instilling sound moral and religious instructions in the girl-child towards a chaste and modest future.

Achieving gender equality and women’s rights in Nigeria and the world at large is crucial toestablishing and sustaining developments as specifically addressed by three Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Gender inequality has a much greater impact than the explicit MDGs. Gender dynamics underpin all of the MDGs and to make progress, we need specific gender-sensitive policies and action across the entire project.

In promoting women’s livelihood, the 2012 DFID Gender Report in Nigeria, recommends that “Government policy should prioritise agriculture and rural development, because 54 million of Nigeria’s 80.2 million women live and work in rural areas where they constitute 60-70% of the rural work force”. It also advocates the formulation and implementation of laws that will assist the female gender in actualising her mandate.

On education, the report advised the creation of incentives for all girls to complete primary and secondary education, whilst delivering free education to girls and better funding for the educational sector both at the state and national levels. 

This fight for gender equality can only be successful with YOU and I playing our individual yet concerted roles towards successful women’s leadership; strengthening women’s economic empowerment; ending violence against women; promoting women’s participation in peace and security processes; and ensuring that public planning and budgeting responds to the needs and rights of women. Together-we can make it happen!

According to the Executive Director, UN Women, Michelle Bachelet, “Gender equality must become a lived reality”.

At this juncture, let me drop my pen in recognition and appreciation of all female: girls and women across the globe, who despite societal inequality and discrimination have just like my mother and sisters continued to grow in leaps and bonds…I love, respect and cherish you all. PEACE!

TAYO ELEGBEDE JET is a Journalist cum Mediapreneur

Follow me on twitter via @tayojet1