y EMMANUEL EDUKUGHO
Going by a report of the United Nations
Children Fund, Nigeria is among the 24
countries with large number of
undernourished children in the world.
Inadequate nutrition in childhood
undermines the ability of individuals to
develop their full capabilities. Lack of
essential minerals like iodine and iron
can impair brain development.
In developing countries such as Nigeria,
it is estimated that 40 per cent of
children aged four years and younger
suffer from anaemia because of
insufficient iron in their diets.
Poverty is inextricably linked with food
insecurity and hunger. It also increases
the trend of homelessness as there are
thousands of street children across this
country.
According to the World Bank, 66 per cent
of the Nigerian population live below
poverty line of less than $2 USD a day.
This clearly indicates that poverty is
still and would remain a growing
problem. Many children live in
environments without adequate shelter,
sanitation nor clean drinking water and
limited health care facility.
About 10 million children of school age
are not attending schools due mainly to
poverty and unemployment status of their
parents who cannot afford to provide
them with basic education. This could be
alarming considering the fact that the
Federal Government had assured of nine
years primary and junior secondary
education as stipulated in the Universal
Basic Education Act 2004, with stringent
penalties for parents whose children and
wards are found on the streets during
school hours.
Because of poverty, parents have been
compelled to send their children to the
streets to hawk food items such as
groundnuts, oranges, mangoes, sachet
water, minerals, bananas, carrots,
tomatoes, pepper, vegetables and cooking
oil, just to mention a few. Due to their
tender ages, some of these child-hawkers
can be kidnapped by ritualists, sexually
abused, knocked down by moving vehicles
on busy streets or fall victims of
hazardous environments.
Those children who managed to be in
schools experienced so much hardship as
a result of unconducive learning
situation like over-crowded classrooms,
lack of ventilation, insufficient
reading books, writing materials and
disgruntled, ill-motivated and poorly
paid teachers.
In the rural areas, some of the children
used to come to school every morning,
carrying their own small writing desks
and sitting chairs.
Yet, over N80 billion as at 2012, made
available by the Federal Government
under the UBE 2004 Act in respect of
funding remained in the vault of CBN
because most of the states are unable to
provide the counterpart funds required
to access the UBE money.
Infrastructural decay has become
prevalent in most schools as classroom
buildings are dilapidated, roofs
leaking, windows destroyed, school
compounds flooded during rainy season,
while there are inadequate toilets, no
drinking water and lack of recreational
and sporting facilities.
Master Femi Adeola, 5 years-old, attends
a community primary school at Nosada. He
is in Primary 2. His father is a cassava
farmer while the mother sells vegetables
in the local market. Speaking in Yoruba,
he said: “I don’t eat in the morning
before leaving home. My dad gives me N20
which is not regular. I will wait till
break time before using the money to buy
rice and beans without meat. On my
return home, I go immediately to help my
father in the farm.”
Worldwide, over 50 per cent of children
are malnourished against less than 5 per
cent in developed, rich nations. In the
Nigerian food consumption and nutrition
survey recently carried out, 42 per cent
of Nigerian children were stunted while
25 per cent were underweight.
Under nutrition undermines the survival
growth and development of children and
diminishes the strength and capacity of
the nation.
According to WHO and UNICEF, 88 per cent
of deaths is attributed to unsafe water,
inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.
Diarrhea kills about 1.5 million
children in the developing world and
200,000 Nigerian children annually.
Those living in poverty have a higher
prevalence of disability and chronic
illness and suffer lower life expectancy
than those of higher income levels.
Children from poor homes are more
commonly affected by infections,
respiratory and gas-troin testinal
infections, wheezing illness.
Research has shown t hat there is high
tendency of educational failure for
children who are from poor or low income
backgrounds. They usually drop out than
their counterparts from affluent homes.
High level of juvenile delinquency,
teenage pregnancies are found among
children from poor homes.
Education, the main driver of growth and
economic, technological and scientific
development is still not adequately
accessible in Nigeria,, thereby
contributing to high incidence of
poverty in the country.
To worsen the situation, corruption has
held the nation captive coupled with bad
governance, bribery and all kinds of
malpractices can be found at all levels
of government and strata of the Nigerian
society.
Children and youths are the worst hit as
they roamed the streets jobless,
homeless, eventually resorting to
criminality.
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