2023: Stakeholders Reveal How Politicians Can Be Challenged to Revive Nigeria’s Health, Education Sector
Stakeholders in the health and education sector have said that purposeful and deliberate policy by politicians on the one hand and demand for implementation by electorates on the other hand is key to reviving the system while driving the sustainable development goal.
Understanding this by both parties they say is pivotal considering the forthcoming general elections where elected representatives will occupy various officers at all levels of government having been voted in by the electorates.
They spoke at the 40th Episode of “Hasken Matasa” a popular radio series aired weekly on Express 90.3fm radio Kano where issues on youth affirmative action and societal concerns regarding overall impact and development are discussed.
While speaking on the theme; Agenda and Priorities for Elected and Electorates with a focus on Health and Education, Dr Musa Muhammad Head of Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University Kano maintained that there must be a focus on deliberate, sustainable, and implementable people-oriented policies in health and education to drive development.
“To achieve this, electorates must understand their rights and in turn, the elected must know how to serve people their rights irrespective of party affinity,” he explained.
“In the health sector, for example, it is very easy to achieve what is needed because elected officials can simply adopt the United Nations Agenda on Health which includes strengthening leadership and governance in the health sector at all levels from Federal and State including Ministries, Department, and Agencies (MDAs), down to hospitals and even the various department and sections in the hospitals, the leadership manning this places must be qualified and firm.
“Secondly, they could look at Human Resource for Health which involves having qualified health workers at various levels from Doctors, Nurses, Laboratory Technicians, Cleaners, etc are not only qualified and professionals but recruited through the right process. Their welfare must equally be enhanced.
“Thirdly, the role of Health Financing in boosting health service delivery cannot be overemphasised, in some advanced countries, out-of-pocket expenditure is no longer common, because a lot of charity, philanthropy etc has come in to support the government, elected officials have to attract this to our health sector too.”
Dr Bello further explained that effective service delivery and health information are all key aspects that should not be taken for granted by elected officials.
“Number six, elected officials should harvest community participation in various health facilities across the board. They can monitor, contribute and volunteer. Even traditional and religious rulers have a role to play in this provision.
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“Lastly, partnership for health remains key, – government alone cannot always do it, they need support in terms of funding, workshops, and training for health workers, equipment procurements etc.”
According to Dr Musa, non of these provisions can stand alone on its own as each one compliments the other.
“Instead of an elected official to pick only one or two and work towards achieving it, it’s better they spread resources across all the provisions and achieve a milestone, there is always continuity, otherwise it won’t work. I believe such concerted effort will build the health sector gradually.”
He argued that electorates on the other hand need to stop bringing their personal interest into the overall development equation.
“Though we understand that this is usually inspired by poverty that is why we must also prioritise poverty eradication,” he alluded while calling on elected officials to strive hard in maintaining the trust bestowed on them by the masses.
Joining via a call-in, another guest of the program Dr Auwal Khalil, Lecturer, Department of Community Development, BUK, and Chairman of Civil Society Action Coalition and Education for All (CSACEFA) decried the current state of education in the country.
“Education is gasping for air in our society. Overcrowded classrooms, lack of infrastructure, and lack of qualified teachers to mention a few have continued to remain the cancer that is eating up the sector.
“Quality education is the salt of life, unfortunately, there are people that do not have access to both religious and western education in our society today there’s a terrible setback since from the days of our ajami,” he lamented.
For this to be addressed, he maintained that a standardised educational structure must be put in place especially infrastructure, strategies to boost school enrolment must be brought about and electorates should always have an education agenda they will present to politicians who come campaigning for their votes.
“Are you aware that just basic uniform or even pencils of N20 prevents students from attending schools? So in their broader plan, politicians should make provisions for uniforms, books, volunteer teachers, training and retraining of teachers etc, skills acquisition for self-empowerment of the student in schools should also be put in place and only teachers with a passion for teaching should be involved in teaching,” he advised
Meanwhile, callers who called into the program have accused politicians of politicising health and education so that they can continue to use it as a campaign instrument.
“Since 1999 politicians have not stopped using health and education to campaign and electorates are easily gulled by what they hear,” a caller lamented.
Hasken Matasa, which literally translates into “Light of the Youth,” a weekly program on topical youth-oriented issues organized by the Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR) and the Youth Society for Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Social Vices (YOSPIS), is sponsored by the Aminu Magashi Garba Foundation (AMG Foundation)
