Don't call me a pessimist.
There are many reasons why Nigeria may never progress but I will focus on two issues out of many problems namely.....education and healthcare delivery where there is a sharp division between the poor and rich in terms of access and affordability.
Education and healthcare service are part of the sustainable development goals initiated by the United Nation in order to transform the world. Records have shown over the years that Nigeria is not committed to any UN poverty alleviating programs.
Structurally Nigeria is operating a defect presidential/federating system with a faulty constitution. This is a deep-rooted problem that if solved will help speed up the country's development and probably offered some relief and solutions to the endemic problems ravaging the country. But note, if the country is restructured and the budgetary provision on education and healthcare are not given priority at each state/regional level the country will still be moving in circle.
Back to the main issues pointed above..... free and qualitative education and healthcare, if adopted will provide some succor to the citizens and the system as it will be explained below.
These two key issues can make Nigeria if government can introduced policies/laws that will make it compulsory for all government officials both elected and appointed including all public/ civil servants (all government workers) to make use of public schools and public hospitals with their families.
Even at the budgetary level, all tiers of government will need to increase the budgetary allocation to the united nation stipulated figures. For example Nigeria government allocated just 7% of 2018 budget to education sector as against UN stipulated 26% of national budget. In the healthcare sector too budget allocation fall below expectation, 5% was allocated against AU agreed 15%.
Based on these figures you don't need an expert/economist to tell you that Nigeria is far away from other modern countries that are genuinely interested in the progress of their countries. This is one reason why the country has taken over from India as the most extreme poverty county in the world.
And as far we operate within the current budgetary allocation on education and healthcare delivery the country will remain poor for a very long time and majority of the population will be living below poverty level.
My experience and understanding has taught me that a free and qualitative school and healthcare provision for all citizens will provide equal opportunities to all besides making all government officials to be totally committed and faithful to the progress of the country. The resources is there to make it free up to secondary school level, it could be in form of school grants/loans at university level.
But instead we have bunch of crazy looters and unpatriotic rulers among government officials that are ready to sacrifice the country's interests so long their children and spouses attend the best schools and hospitals in the world. And these costs are not undertaking from their legitimate income but from stolen money.
About five governors have their children graduated from UK universities in 2017 including some traditional rulers that are been paid from tax payers money. Even Buhari is not left out of this bandwagon effects. And you are expecting Nigeria educational and healthcare sectors to compete with the rest of the world. No way it is impossible because these wicked people are only service providers with strong conviction that the services is only meant for the poor masses.
These actions of theirs will rather expand the gap between the poor and rich people and continuing to expand the poverty level and other vices like kidnapping, killings, police brutality, robbery, prostitution, economic migration...just to mention a few.
Unfortunately Nigeria has been having mediocrity as presidents including the so called incompetent educated ones like Yaradua and Jonathan.
These morons and political imbeciles are less concern about the masses and the country.
The world stipulated budgetary allocation for education and healthcare are not achievable because the policy-makers and executors are not loyal and committed to the country's development and secondly they all have their children oversea receiving the best education and superb healthcare service.
Until we have in place compulsory laws and polices directing for all government officials both elected and appointed and all the government workers to make use of public schools and hospitals in the country along with their families, Nigeria and Nigerian masses will continue to wallop in critical poverty whereas these few politicians and their collaborators in civil service with their family members will continue to gallivanting all over the world with tax payers money enjoying the best medical service and qualitative education.
If this can be done it will not only improve the quality and number of users but also enhance the image of the country and make the citizens be proud of their leaders and country. It could also become an avenue for foreign earnings where people will be visiting from all over Africa just like the way they patronize UK. The life span of the citizens too will increase and the poverty level will come down drastically. To cap it all patriotism level among citizens will skyrocket.
The slogan should be if you can not do public schools and hospitals with your families you have no business working with government either through elective/selective post or appointment.
Because of our level of development, indiscipline and nonchalant attitudes among leaders and followers alike we need to back this type of idea with laws/policies.
Most top government officials in some developed countries including UK have their kids in public schools and most importantly use public hospitals. This practice has continued to improve their service delivery and increase workers commitments. - Irunmole-news
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