Opinion

By Zahraddeen Mallam Saleh.

The rise of kidnappings in Alakleri is one of the most pressing security issues in Bauchi State, yet underreported. Many villages in Gwana, Duguri, and Pali Districts suffer from the devastating criminal activity of kidnappers and cattle rustlers. As a result, kidnappings for ransom have become more common and a security concern in recent years in those communities.

A few days ago, kidnappers attacked Garin Bono in Maimadi ward and Sabon Gari in Pali ward, along Alkaleri/Futuk road, killing four people and injuring others. Scores of kidnapping incidences have recently occurred in Gwana District, from abducting prominent personalities to the commoners who found it difficult to feed their families. Nowadays, kidnappers target all people, irrespective of whether they are rich or poor, because wealthy individuals from rural areas migrated to urban cities to live in peace and harmony with their families.

Four children were kidnapped at the outskirt of Yalo. Yalo is less than 100 kilometres away from Alkaleri, the council headquarter. In Kargo, Malam Hamza was abducted at his residence in neighbouring Mansur. In addition, three farmers were kidnapped while working on their farms. As I write this piece, information reaching us revealed that four people were abducted today, 23^rd June 2022, at Bakin Layi, a suburb of Yalo town.

All these victims cannot pay the ransom or their proxy relatives. Evidence shows that most of today’s victims are poor villagers, a departure from the earlier kidnapping of wealthy individuals. This category of victims loses their lives in the process due to their inability to pay the ransom because of relative poverty.

It was estimated that from January 2022 to date, in Gwana District alone, more than one hundred (100) cases of kidnappings were reported to the office of the District head of Gwana, located in Futuk. This depicts the ugly nature of the situation where most armless commoners are indiscriminately taken for ransom. People live in distrust and fear due to this ugly picture of our security situation. Members of different bandit groups have been seen carrying heavy arms around Jada forest in Maimadi ward, a forest that comprises part of Yankari forest, harassing locals and farmers. A development that compelled many farmers to abandon their farms for fear of being kidnapped. For instance, Aliyu Inuwa (Messi), a resident of Futuk, left his maize farm despite spending a considerable amount of money. 

In her effort to curb the menace, the Bauchi state government procured and distributed motorcycles across the affected areas in the state. In addition, Hilux Patron vans were also distributed across all local governments. In Gwana District, in particular, the local security architecture has Patrol Hilux and several motorcycles provided by this administration in order to facilitate security surveillance and end criminal activities in the entire community. Hence, this intervention from the state government is highly commendable and appreciated. However, the situation demands a more formidable security architecture in curtailing this disease.

Equally, the military detachment in Futuk, Digare, and Mansur and the recent deployment of an anti-kidnapping squad in Yalo and Kargo aimed to reduce criminal activities in our areas. But the existing security architectures showcased their professionalism in collecting N20, N30, N50 and N100 from the motorists and motorcycle riders daily than dealing with monsters called bandits/kidnappers. We are not denying or undermining their role in protecting lives and property. I’m just reporting what I saw with my naked eyes on my recent trip from Futuk to Mansur to collect primary data for my postgraduate study.

Bauchi state government should put more effort into securing its people before it metamorphoses into what is happening in Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto. In addition, the government should encourage and promote education.

Zahraddeen Mallam Saleh wrote from Futuk, Gwana District, Alakleri LG. He can be reached via zahradeenmsaleh@gmail.com.

By Kabir Fagge Ali

Almajiri is a system of Islamic education practised primarily in Northern Nigeria. The term is also used to denote a person who is taught or undergoing learning within this system called “Almajiranci.”

Almajiri is derived from the Arabic “Al-Muhajjirun”, an “Emigrant” who migrates from his home to a particular Islamic school in the quest for knowledge.

Over the years, it has been a normal feature, a cultural norm to have seen children roaming the streets in certain parts of (mainly northern) Nigeria, all in the name of seeking Islamic Education through the system of Almajiri.

Before the arrival of British colonial masters, a system of education called ‘Tsangaya’ has since prevailed in the Kanem-Borno Empire. It was established as an organised and comprehensive education system for learning Islamic principles, values, jurisprudence and theology.

Established after madrasahs in other parts of the Muslim world, Tsangaya was primarily funded by the state. Islam traditionally encourages charity, so the community readily supported these Almajiri. In return, he (Almajiri) gives back to society through manual labour.

The system also produced the judges, clerks, and teachers who provided the colonial administration with the needed staff. The Almajiri schools provided the first set of colonial staff in Northern Nigeria.

The Colonial masters abolished state funding of Tsangaya, arguing that they were religious schools. “Karatun Boko”, western education was introduced and funded instead. With this loss of support, the system collapsed.

A 2014 UNICEF report put the number of Almajiri in Nigeria at 9.5 million, or 72 per cent of the country’s 13.2 million out-of-school children. Unfortunately, this is a disaster unfolding before our eyes, as some estimates claim that the number of out-of-school children in the country has risen past the 15 million mark, most of whom originated from the North.

Regrettably, the Almajiri culture has since outlived its purpose and has become a breeding ground for child begging and, in extreme cases, potential materials for recruitment into terrorist groups. Moreover, the pupils who were meant to be trained to become Islamic scholars have now had to struggle to cater for themselves, begging rather than learning under the watch and supervision of some semi-literate Quranic teachers or Mallams who themselves lacked the requisite financial and moral support. Hence, the system runs more as a means of survival rather than a way of life.

This is because the Qur’anic schools became hapless, unable to render any help. After all, the head of the school is not also financially stable. This ultimately leads him to enforce a rule that ensures the students get him food or money. The most annoying part is making it mandatory, as punishment is enforced on anyone who fails to turn in what is expected from him.

Deprived of a normal and decent upbringing, Almajiri children, usually little boys between the ages of 4 and 15, may have been direct products of polygamous marriage or broken homes or simply due to economic challenges that hit the family. They lack adequate family cover as children are sent out to the streets under the guise of Almajiri as soon as the family’s resources are overstretched.

The Almajiri grows up in the streets without their parents’ love, care, and guidance; his struggle for survival exposes him to abuse (homosexuality and paedophilia), used as a slave, brainwashed, and recruited for anti-social activities, and used for destructive and violent activities. This is the picture of the pitiful plight of an Almajiri child in Nigeria.

Additionally, Almajiri culture epitomises child abuse, social exclusion, and chronic poverty in all ramifications. Because the system is believed to be rooted in Islamic religion and Fulani cultural practices, many attempts to reverse the trend or end such abuse of humanity have always hit a brick wall.

The fact that Islamic teaching strongly forbids begging, except in exceptional circumstances, which include a man’s loss of properties or wealth in a disaster or when a man has loaned much of his money for the common good, such as bringing peace between two warring parties already proves that Almajiri system as it is being practised today is unIslamic. A child neglected by his parents is vulnerable to diseases and social crimes. To survive, he often has to beg from ‘dusk to dawn’, after which he returns to the Tsangaya (Almajiri school).

For the past years, the Almajiri system has created a cover for criminally minded individuals to abuse Nigerian children through trafficking and expose them to anti-social behaviours such as forced labour and sex slaves.

Even former President Goodluck Jonathan designed a program under which a few Almajiri Model Boarding schools were established, which was aimed at integrating conventional western education into Islamic education, only turned out to be merely ‘removing a spoonful of water from a filled tank’, it wasn’t enough to adequately address the problem. As a result, less than five per cent of the children were captured by the Federal Government’s program meant to remove the Almajiri off the streets.

Therefore, as urgent, the government should take reasonable measures to address the Almajiri system in Nigeria to take them off the streets, even if it means banning the culture.

Unless it is banned or adequately reformed to meet the modern challenges and realities, the problems of underdevelopment, educational backwardness, and mass poverty in (northern) Nigeria will worsen. People will continue to bear children they do not have the resources to cater for, knowing that they could easily push such children out into the Almajiri system.

To conclude that the Almajiri system has deviated from its original purpose and is currently giving Nigeria a bad image in the international community is to admit the obvious.

This problem is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode at any time. And when it does, it will consume us all. But, it is still not late. So, something can be done to stem the tides.

Fagge is a student of Mass Communication at Skyline University Nigeria. He sent this via faggekabir29@gmail.com.

By Murtala Uba Mohammed (PhD)

In recognition of the importance of environment to human life, the United Nation Environmental Programme (UNEP) sets aside 5th day of every June as the World Environment Day (WED). This year, the world celebrated 50th WED with a theme “Only One Earth”. If everything, this theme was the first theme of the WED and also it signified the importance of protecting the planet earth. Since man has no any other place to call his home other than the earth, it is binding on him to safeguard its sanctity and ensure its sustenance, as well as to do everything possible to maintain its health status.

The planet earth which came into existence some billions of years back, was in a harmonious state with respect to its chemical and biological elements. Although, volcanic eruption and other natural occurrences such as falling of asteroids that occurred in the past, might have induced some modifications to it as the state is always being checked through planet’s self-regulating mechanism, recycling, replenishing and adaptation.

Man’s dominance of the planet which began with his emergence some 200,000 years ago through the current epoch of Anthropocene has made the most significant footprint on the earth. At the early stage, human beings started living in a small number; lived a simple life (without access to any tool) through hunting and gathering things, before man later multiplied (reaching billions) and acquired new technologies to exploit nature to suit his purposes. Through waves of revolutions in agriculture, urbanization, industrialization and information, environment received so much impact from human who introduces, transforms, modifies, hastens many processes and terminates many.

Consequently, with the recent development, environment started to react as earth begins to witness unusual, unfamiliar and difficult to predict events. Issues such as rise in temperature, air pollution, ice melt, flood, tropical storms, drought, desertification, soil desiccation, groundwater depletion and more intensified earth tremors and quakes become regular visitors to the planet. Also noticed is the extinction and disappearance of many species and habitats as well as emergence and re-emergence of new diseases. The main drivers of this change as explained by Intergovernmental Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) are changes in land and sea use, direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution and invasion of alien species. All these are linked to human activities in the field of agriculture, mining, building of settlements and industries.

Although the drivers may not be sporadic as far as their nature and magnitude, their consequences are ubiquitous. The most vulnerable to the impact are the weaker members of human society and species such as the developing countries due to their poverty and underdevelopment status; the children and women because of their powerlessness and dependency; the disabled and people with special needs; and above all, the none human part of the environment (plants, animals and abiotic components) who may not have the human intellect and know-how (for example) to run for their safety.

At global level, efforts are made through changing and adapting more cleaner energy sources such as solar and hydro, as against the use of fossil fuel based energy which is harmful to the ecosystem and equally contributing to carbon accumulation into the atmosphere; switching to green technology through recycling of resource and producing environmentally friendly technologies and product; better and less environmentally damaging agriculture such as zero tillage, less to zero acreage farming, control grazing, integrated organic farming; as well as changing to green engineering, climate smart engineering among many other things. Rehabilitation, reclamation and restoring the damaged ecosystems are also receiving priorities through such projects such as Great Green Wall.

In spite of this effort at global level, we need to look inward and see what we are doing/can do at local level to help in solving the global problems while at the same time addressing our local issues. The population, particularly those in rural areas should be empowered through knowledge and economy to embrace changes in the areas of sustainable climate, smart agricultural practice, afford better technologies and change to clean energy. With current economic shock, low income, and high cost of accessing cleaner energy sources such as solar, we are indirectly encouraging Nigerias’ poor to continue using wood fuel and inflict more damages to our fragile ecosystem. When farmers are left at the mercy of nature, doing little to nothing to subsidize them or improve market price of their goods, the agricultural output will remain low and the demand for more land will continue leading to destruction of forest and reserves. Only when farmers are getting sufficient income, they will save enough and be able to send their children to school. This will address the current rural-urban drift which is making it difficult for city administration.

Environmental planning is one area we need to do a lot in Nigeria. Respect for nature and natural world is very fundamental. City folks should have access to open spaces, recreational areas and parks. Our built brown ecosystem should be sandwiched with grassy greenish and watery bluish ones to achieve harmony. Presence of all living things is fundamental to the environment. Cities soundscape should be a blended one, with presence of both manmade and natural (such as birds, insects and reptiles) sounds. Workability should be encouraged for both health improvement of resident and for carbon off-scaling in our urban area. We also need to revive and improve our local technologies and architectural designs to make it environmentally friendly.

Health and safety of residents should be given a priority. While, sharing the moment of grief in Kano State, as over 200 residents inhaled unknown gas and ended up in hospital, we hope such things will not happen again. The state recently faces problem of water scarcity particularly in the metropolis where a 25 litre water container cost between 60 to 100 Naira. This has implication on health and sanitation of the populace who are now taking water whose quality is highly questionable. The state should do more on water provisioning and supply. Water policy should also be implemented in order to check the current rampant proliferation of boreholes whose future implication is likely a doom.

In a nutshell, WED is a good time to reflect and ponder. It is time to think more about environment, make it healthy and support its sustainability. It is a moment for all hands to be on deck to achieve sustainable development where a balance will be achieved between built and natural ecosystem. All stakeholders including the policy makers, the professionals and media have roles to play in this endeavour. It is right to advocate for a healthy and sustainable environment.

Murtala teaches Geography at Bayero University and can be reached via his email, murtalamuhammadu@gmail.com

By Aminu Mohammed

This article was inspired by a post that I read on the Facebook page of Dr Muhsin Ibrahim, where he cautioned our youth against embarking on a perilous journey that may lead to their untimely death. However, while going through the comments, I was actually shocked by a statement made by someone who insisted on travelling to Europe through the Sahara Desert, despite warnings by the writer.

Of course, I know that life is tough in Nigeria, and many youths are jobless and hopeless. The high level of insecurity is worrisome in the North, as people are being hacked down to death daily without any concrete intervention from the security agencies. The deprivation is glaring on the streets all over the North, and people are looking for a way out. However, I will always advise people to travel legally anywhere or otherwise stay at home if they do not have the financial capacity to do so.

During my stint as a journalist in Sokoto a few years ago, I have written many articles about human trafficking and illegal migration. Unfortunately, this is a big business for many people in villages around the Illela local government area of Sokoto. Illela is a border town between Sokoto and Qoni in the Niger Republic. People are trafficked through these villages with the connivance of some youth in the villages. These nefarious people in the villages assist these illegal migrants by transporting them with motorcycles to the Niger Republic in order to evade immigration officers at the Illela border, who may likely prevent them from entering the Niger Republic en route to Libya and finally to Italy and other European countries.

Let me make it clear that life is not a bed of roses here, and the streets of Europe are not paved with gold. People don’t pick money on the streets. You have to work very hard to earn money. Although the government makes efforts to ensure a good life for the citizens, there are homeless people and beggars in Germany, the wealthiest European country. It is not a paradise as many of you may think or imagine in your dreams.

Life in Europe is akin to slavery for people without legal documents. First, life is tough here without legal documents. You cannot get accommodation, open a bank account, work, or visit the hospital without a resident permit. My first time at a clinic to see the doctor in my city, I was asked to present my residence permit and health insurance card; otherwise, I won’t be able to receive treatment. Thus, I presented my documents, which they quickly confirmed before treating me.

Many young men are being lured by the success stories of those who travelled illegally to Europe through the Sahara Desert in the past and believed they too could achieve success if they endure tribulation and go through pains. Although not all those who follow the pathway of illegal migration end up in agony, most live as enslaved people here.

Of course, I know and have met some of them who came to Europe through the Sahara Desert and Libya and are doing well here. For example, I know a Hausa guy from Kano State who lives in my city with his family and owns a clothing shop. He told me gory tales about his movement from Sokoto to Agadez in the Niger Republic and the perilous journey through the Sahara Desert to Libya, which lasted eight days. He spent about one year in Libya doing menial jobs before he summoned the courage to cross the Mediterranean with a boat carrying many people to the island of Lampedusa, Italy, 11 years ago.

According to this Kano guy, they took the boat early in the morning from Libya and were rescued at noon by coast guards who later ferried them in their boats to Lampedusa. He subsequently left Italy for Germany eight years ago and is now a legal resident here. He speaks fluent German and carries out his business diligently.

A few of them in my city came through that perilous route and are now established in Germany, doing meaningful jobs while contributing to the country’s economy. But their trajectory may not be the same as yours as everybody has his own destiny and luck. So many people have died in the Sahara Desert even before reaching Libya, while some have died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea, yet our youth are still not deterred despite such deaths.

The fact of the matter is that many people who came through the illegal route are wallowing in misery and deprivation. Most of them are trapped in refugee camps scattered in most cities across Germany. I have been to the refugee camp in my city twice and witnessed how these people live. It is a kind of glorified prison, though they can still go out and even work illegally without the knowledge of the authorities. They do “black jobs”, which are very low-paid jobs that do not require documents and are usually paid directly after their labour but not through the banks.

I met a Ghanaian last year whose name is Idrissa. He left the refugee camp in Munich, the southern part of Germany and is now hiding in my city doing menial jobs. According to him, he feels terrified whenever he sees the police and usually gets scared of commuting by public bus or train for fear of being arrested. Unfortunately, this is the type of life those with illegal documents live here. In fact, at the peak of the Corona pandemic last year, this Ghanaian could not get vaccinated because no hospital would vaccinate him due to a lack of legal documents.

Some of these illegal immigrants, desperate to get legal documents for them to be able to work, get entangled with old German women that are old enough to be their grandparents under the guise of marriage and are treated as slaves. Of course, the German women are aware that they want them only because of their residence permit and make sure they go through excruciating pains.

I decided to write this article in order to alert our youths on the dangers of travelling to Europe through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea. If your dream is to travel to Europe, then try to go through the legal way. You can go either through the study route, a scholarship or a job based on your skills. I know that many people get jobs with the skills they acquired in Nigeria, such as doctors, nurses, engineers, and those in data science and information technology, among others. Travelling legally is the only way to move freely without humiliation abroad due to a lack of legal documents. May Allah make things easy for all of us, amin.

Aminu Mohammed is at the School of Sustainability, Chrtistan Albrechts Universität zu Kiel, Schleswig Holstein, Germany. He can be reached via gravity23n@gmail.com or 219013@mail.uni-Kiel.de.

By Abdul Mutallib Muktar

I read from today’s edition of Daily Trust how DSS rescued 21 Almajiris from a house under the custody of ECWA church in Jos North. The Almajiris were alleged to have been forcefully brought there from another state. After their rescue, the Almajiris revealed how they were forced to learn and practise Christianity.

Keep aside the pluralism of Nigeria and remember how Plateau State has been suffering from crises for over two decades. The major cause of these crises is undeniably attributable to religious divides.

Taking and camping children from another religion in the name of educating them without parental consent, especially when they’re forced to receive religious instructions and attend religious ceremonies or observance different from their own religion, is an act that clearly violates Section 38(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

Therefore, the act of the Evangelical churches is constitutionally wrong. It is unacceptable in the eyes of the law. More so, looking at the situation in Plateau State, it is utterly unthinkable for the church to camp Muslim Almajiris without the consent of their parents or guardians and teach them Christianity or force them to attend church services. This act is akin to throwing an ember into a tank of fuel.

Looking at the issue from another angle, it behoves any fair pen, to tell the truth to the parents of these Almajiris. The remote places in the North still view the Almajiri system as a good way of learning merely because of its ancestral tint. It is highly condemnable to see little children roaming about the streets of our cities day and night, begging for food in the name of learning. Looking at the slavish lifestyle of Almajiris in Arewa, it will not be surprising if someone acts in the belief that the parents of these Almajiris have disowned them.

More strange news would continue to hit the headlines as long as the Almajiri system remains what it is today. However, as life changes, people must adjust to take a better breath.

Muktar writes from Jos, Plateau State and can be reached via abdulmutallib.muktar@gmail.com.

By Hassan Ahmad Usman

To begin, I would like my readers to understand that, unlike games, there is no “cheat code” for good governance. Governance is practical, with little room for derailing if the desired outcome must be achieved. If there is anything that President Buhari-led’s administration taught us, it is to shun unrealistic optimism.  There is nothing wrong with setting standards for our leaders or being optimistic about the prospects of their leadership.  

At the inauguration of Buhari in 2015, one would believe by now that he is rounding off his eight years stay, our four refineries would be functional, the epileptic power supply would be a thing of the past, security tackled, and so many things accomplished. 

Notwithstanding, people overlook many landmark achievements by his administration. Why? Unrealistic optimism. They are not the standards we set for him from the on set. In a year, we’ll have a new president, new administration and new policy makers. In between, we’ll have an election that will bring a new government.

The leading candidates so far are former vice president Atiku Abukar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),  former Lagos state governor Bola Tinubu of All progressives Congress (APC) and former Anambra state governor Peter Obi of the Labour party (LP). These candidates are enjoying a large support base. 

My candid advice to the “Batists”, “Atikulateds”, and the “OBIdients” is to learn from the travails the Buharists went through in his defence. They marketed Buhari to the extent that we thought only miracles would better his performance in office, and failure was an impossibility in our imaginations.  We again gave him another chance despite his dissatisfaction with his first term because the Saraki/Dogara-led National Assembly was a block to his reform agendas. They also told us that the 2016 economic recession was a catastrophe due to the then-ever-falling oil prices. With these excuses, whether acceptable or not, we should understand that there won’t be a smooth ride for any president in a developing economy like ours.

So, I remind those supporters to moderate their optimism and understand and study what development is all about in modern civilization. It is not as easy as we thought. It would be best if you weren’t in defence of your candidate throughout his stay in office.  

Nigeria had her chance to turn things around when the oil price was at its highest. Unfortunately, indecisions and a lack of foresight from the leaders made it impossible. We are now living to bear the brunts of the indecisions of our past leaders. 

To Nigerians, we should understand that good governance that translates into sustainable growth and development cannot be achieved through “quick-fix” solutions. It’ll take longer than expected time for it to manifest. We’ve read and heard of the turnaround of countries like China and the United Arab Emirates but never paid attention to the processes they passed through before making it to the big stage. If development is what we all crave, we must all make sacrifices that come with it and know that we may not be the immediate beneficiaries of our own strides. 

Hassan Ahmad Usman writes from Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria.  He can be reached via basree177@gmail.com.

By Ibrahim Sulaiman Jama’are

On Wednesday, 15th June 2022, two of my Facebook friends, Ahmad Muhammad Danyaro and Abdullahi Barau Azare, tagged me in a trending post that that one association called Jama’are Emirate Youth Forum (JEYF), awarded a popular Hausa political musician, Alh. Dauda Kahutu Rarara a “Certificate of Excellent” (don’t mind the grammar). The group added that “In recognize in your (that’s the awardee) tremendous effort and exceptional commitment towards development of humanity” (I beg for your pardon on the poor grammar).

Based on my search on Facebook, the story on this issue was first broken by Ibrahim  Sanyi-Sanyi (who I follow), whose post seemed to be earlier than that of the purported chairman of the forum, Rabiu A Umar (who happens to be my Facebook friend too).

My dismay was minified by the comments on the Facebook wall of Ibrahim Sanyi-Sanyi by his followers, many of whom (thank God) suspected the forum to be fake and, of course, created and formed for the purpose. 

Though there is naturally nothing wrong with conferring an award on any person who contributed toward the development of any community, the question remains: in what way did Rarara contribute to the development of Jama’are Emirate?. Many groups in Jama’are have a history of giving awards to personalities that excelled in different areas of endeavour and contributed to the Emirate’s development (which is normal and obtainable in many places). 

It is a source of concern that churning out such awards to personalities not known for delivering any community services is a spoof that will do a great disservice in future. 

The public should note that JEYF is not a registered association by any institution at the local government or state levels. Traditionally, such associations are registered with the desk officer of clubs and associations at the local government Social Welfare Office. Also, local clubs usually have patrons, typically elderly, who advise and guide members on what to do.  JEYF neither to has no one and no in the registry of the LG.   

I would naturally not write this if the awardee was, say, Aminu Bagwai, another famous Hausa singer. For quite a long time, he has been a friend and, of course, a frequent visitor to Jama’are and who had a dedicated song for Jama’are town, a headquarters of Jama’are Emirate.

On a serious note, from all indications, Rarara might have been a victim of ‘Yan-wanki’ impostors parading themselves as representatives of Jama’are Emirate Youths. The carelessness with which the certificate is written in quite mangled English indicates that this group does not represent us. It is an obvious fact that every casual observer can glean. 

Ibrahim Sulaiman Jama’are is a concerned citizen of Jama’are. He wrote from Abuja via ibrahimsulaiman193@gmail.com.

By Isa Ali Musa

Digital rights and inclusion is an issue that doesn’t get discussed enough. Yet, with the way things are currently going, it has the potential to become a much bigger problem in the future. And as someone who is passionate about technology and its ability to help people and businesses, this concerns me. There are many ways that digital rights and inclusion can be addressed in business, but there is also something special about doing so when you’re operating in Nigeria. The country has been hit with many unfair reputations that have held it back for too long. So, by addressing this topic from a Nigerian perspective, companies will not only be doing something good but also taking advantage of a unique opportunity to grow their businesses.

Below are five reasons your business should prioritise digital rights and inclusion in Africa if you’re operating there or plan to expand into the region soon.

Digital Rights and Inclusion is Complimentary for Business

It’s important to understand that digital rights and inclusion are not just something you should do because it’s the right thing. It’s something that you should do because it is complimentary for business. There are many reasons why this is true, but one of the most important is that digital inclusion can help you better understand your customers’ needs. This can lead to more effective management, targeted products and services, and more data for strategy. Therefore, the more you know about what people in your community need, the better your company will be able to meet those needs and, thus, increase its bottom line.

Furthermore, the more you can encourage people and organisations to use technology, the more you’ll see it become an integral part of life and business in Nigeria. This will, in turn, lead to more and better business opportunities. By being at the forefront of digital inclusion, your company will be better equipped to take advantage of these opportunities because it will have better insight into them. This can, therefore, lead to more growth and success for your business.

An Opportunity to Grow Your Company’s Reputation

As mentioned above, there are many reasons why digital rights and inclusion are good for business. Yet, there’s also a significant amount of reputational benefit that can come from the. By promoting digital rights, you are putting yourself in a position to take control of the narrative around your industry and the role your company plays in it. This is particularly important if you’re operating in Nigeria because you’ll have the chance to break many unfair stereotypes plaguing the nation’s digital ecosystem. In addition, by promoting digital rights and inclusion, you can show the world that your company is committed to serving the needs of all people and helping Nigeria catch up with the rest of the world. This can, in turn, lead to greater trust from prospective global customers and clients and, subsequently, more business opportunities in the form of partnerships for expansion.

 Commitment to Having an Equal Footing in Nigeria

While it might seem as though digital rights and inclusion are things that only global partners and governments need to be aware of, the reality is that your clients and competitors should be aware too. Nigerians need access to the same technologies, services, and opportunities that people in the rest of the world have. If your company doesn’t provide digital rights, equalities and equities, your employees are negatively impacted, and you’re missing out on talent that could otherwise be available to you. By addressing digital gender equality and including people with disabilities and special abilities, you can show prospective employees and investors that you are committed to having an equal footing in Nigeria, Africa and globally.

By Promoting Inclusion, You Can Help More People Become Employable

In addition to helping Nigerians get the technology they need and allowing them to get jobs and start businesses, digital rights and inclusion can also enable more people to become employable. Promoting digital rights and inclusion can help more people get the education they need to become computer literate and learn new skills. By promoting digital rights and inclusion, you can help to close the digital divide. This is the gap between those who have access to and proficiency in using technology and those who don’t. Closing the gap is important because it can help Nigerians get the education they need to get jobs in the 21st century. Including as many people as possible in the digital space can help Nigerians continue leading Africa’s Tech ecosystem.

Digital Rights and Inclusion can Help Increase the Quality of Life of Nigerians

There are many ways that digital rights and inclusion can help increase the quality of life for Nigerians. For starters, by promoting digital rights and inclusion, you can help people get the healthcare services they need and deserve. You can also help people better communicate with loved ones through video and audio communication. You can also help people travel more efficiently by using online transportation booking services and other technologies. By promoting digital rights and inclusion, you can also help Nigerians learn about and protect the environment. In addition, you can help people become more financially secure, thus improving the economy. Finally, you can also help improve education and access to information.

Isa Ali Musa is a Policy Fellow, Nigerian Global Affairs Council, Abuja, Nigeria.

By Tijjani Muhammad Musa

Our primary problems in Northern Nigeria (Arewa) as far as the media landscape is concerned are a lack of support and patronage for our own media outlets, shallow-mindedness of our Arewa celebrities and self-centeredness of our social media influencers. Let me briefly explain these.

When a media outlet is floated, whether physically or online, many of our intelligentsia would choose to ignore it and refuse to contribute to its development, survival or sustenance. Some even find it offensive to see their writings featured on such platforms. So how can you imagine them making any effort towards reaching more people via such channels with their brilliant ideas?

This lack of encouragement by the intellectual elites of the Arewa region eventually quashes the zeal of the owners of the medium. So they end up laying their medium to rest, and nobody bothers to ask them why.

Next, our Arewa celebrities are primarily uneducated, digitally unsophisticated or advanced in thinking enough to realize the importance of their newfound status.

Instead of leveraging their popularity to drive home the concerns and aspirations of their people, their region and religion across the country or even globally, most of them just let the star status get into their heads. Thus, they end up as an ill wind that blows nobody good.

Finally, our Social Media influencers, most of them except for a minute few, are more or less acting like local champions, without any focus on using their influence to change the mindset of their followers.

These so-called influencers are constantly striving to create and upload content that only keeps the fire of attention from their followers burning, thereby getting them more and more Likes, comments, and emotes.

Very few among the influencers bother to target being a voice of the masses they represent. In contrast, their voices could be heard echoing the primary issues that concern their embattled region on a national and global scale so that something is done about it.

And they also would refuse to echo and make a trend of burning matters that affect their people, region and religion. A typical example is the acquisition of PVC for the 2023 elections. Have you seen any Arewa Social Media influencers making it a topic of importance? Almost none!

That attitude is unlike that of their counterparts across the divide and globe, who would each lend their support and credence to any trending topic of local, state, regional, national and global concern. Create and add their voices to any other SMI’s effort, so it assumes a loudness nobody can ignore.

Ours would instead choose to write or talk about what will keep their fans entertained, no matter how mundane that is.

Tijjani Muhammad Musa, alias Poetic Tee, is the Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Kano Chapter. He can be reached via mmtijjani@gmail.com.

By Ahmad Abdulhadi

Math phobia, as from the name, means fear of mathematics or a mixed feeling of tension and apprehension towards mathematics. When dealing with mathematics, many students feel like they are in the middle of a battle with little or no chance of surviving. Thus, such feeling interferes with the atmosphere of their emotional and intellectual status, hindering them from understanding the concept.

I will begin this article with a true story that happened to me when I was in secondary school. I told myself that mathematics is a gift, but I was left to believe that I lacked that gift. Hence I would not even practice what I was taught in mathematics class, even though I don’t know how to simplify simple fraction addition.

The real journey began when I secured admission to a university to study in the Faculty of Sciences. Among the prerequisite courses I had to take, mathematics was among, and in the university, the fear of carry-over will hunt someone to his sleep. So, naturally, the student will try every possible means to see that he is free from such prison; that was what I did.

When I absolutely realized that I had to pass those elementary mathematics and other elementary courses that require the application of mathematics, like Chemistry and Physics, I decided to face my fears. I firstly installed in my mind that mathematics was no gift. Then, I started practising every topic taught in mathematics class, solving numerous examples, and going to tutorials and group discussions. In less than three months, I realized mathematics was not a gift. All it needs is the morale to learn and the time to practice where you have missed.

After I paid the price of time sacrifice, I began to enjoy mathematics more than any course. Moreover, understanding mathematics helped me significantly pass other elementary courses like Physical Chemistry and Mechanics with A grades, including mathematics which was almost every 100-level student’s headache.

In short, I face my fears, and I surely did see wonders in less than three months, and so does everyone that thinks mathematics is a gift to certain people. If only you can face that fear hidden inside of you and pay the little price you have to pay, I’m more than sure that you, too, will see wonders    

Ahmad Abdulhadi wrote via bnabdulhadee@gmail.com.