Palliative is not the solution to Nigeria’s problems
The word “palliative” in Latin means “caring.” This is the total care of patients whose conditions do not respond to curative treatment. It relieves suffering and improves the quality of life for both patients and families throughout an illness experience, not just at the end of life. Palliative care begins when illness is diagnosed and continues regardless of whether the patient receives treatment directed at the disease.
In Nigeria however, palliative is largely rice, beans, corn, fertiliser, small amount of money, millet and other food items. From government, leaders in elective positions, organisations, well to do individuals to the masses and the less privileged. Palliative has become a household name in Nigeria, to help “alleviate the sufferings of the people” or “cushion the effect of economic hardship”. Palliative is now regular than wages.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), palliative care is defined as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psycho-social and spiritual. It is the comprehensive care of the individual who is considered as having a body, soul, spirit and family members who require support. It is also about living as well as dying with dignity.
Palliative care is still at a developmental stage in Nigeria despite decades of its introduction by Mrs. Fatunmbi and Dr. Anne Merriman in Nigeria in 1993. The year 2003 was when palliative care was properly introduced to the Nigerian government, policymakers and general public. It is now known as the Center for Palliative Care Nigeria (CPCN), located at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. In 2007, CPCN launched its day-care hospice within the UCH, pain and palliative care unit was established in 2008 at the multidisciplinary oncology center of the University of Nigeria in Enugu, South-eastern Nigeria.
Nigerian government has over the years engaged in distribution of different types of palliatives. In 2023, former President Muhammadu Buhari’s federal government, secured the sum of $800 million from the World Bank, as part of its post-subsidy palliative plans. The loan from the World Bank it said was disbursed to 10 million households considered to be most vulnerable, to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal. Did the money get to the target people? I don’t know. Are Nigerians better off? In fact, the National Economic Council (NEC), last year, unanimously resolved to do away with the national social register used by the Buhari’s administration to implement its Conditional Cash Tranfer to 10 million households, saying it lacks credibility.
Federal government under President Bola Tinubu, approved N5 billion for each of the 36 States of the federation for procurement of food items and fertilisers as part of efforts to alleviate the suffering associated with fuel subsidy removal in the country. In addition, the federal government released five trucks of rice to each state to according to it, “cushion the effect of food shortages across the country.” How many households will be opportune to benefit? Unfortunately, these palliatives which is barely enough, is been siphoned by the very people meant to distribute them.
An analysis of the facts and figures by The Sun, show that about 91.6 million poorest of the poor Nigerians are to share 1, 280, 400 bags of 25kg bags of rice, which the federal government is distributing to the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. A truckload of 25kg of rice is 1, 200 bags, and when it is multiplied by 20 for each state, it gives 24,000 bags. Again, multiplied by 36 States and the FCT, it gives 880,000 bags. It is also distributing three truckloads of the same food item to each of the 109 Senators. For the Senators, three truckloads of 25kg comes to a total of 3,600, multiplied by three for each state is 10,800 bags. That figure multiplied by 36 States is 388,800, and then add 36,000 for Abuja, which is a senatorial zone, which gives 392,400. The total is 1,280,400 (one million, two hundred and eighty thousand, four hundred) bags of 25kg rice for 91.6 million poorest of the poor Nigerians. This is but a drop of water in the ocean.
Federal Government’s food palliatives are ineffective in addressing Nigeria’s growing population of more than 200 million people. If the government wants to provide intervention in terms of food, can they really provide for 200 million people? The most popular food palliative in Nigeria is rice. How long can 25kg or 50kg of rice feed a household? Bearing in mind that to prepare rice, other ingredients go with it. Nigerians cannot live by rice alone. Even Jesus in the Bible when tempted by Satan, said, man shall no live by bread alone. Distribution of palliatives is not the lasting solution to the economic hardship in Nigeria.
Just when we are yet to grapple with the removal of fuel subsidy, every day food hike and economic hardship, boom, government throws Nigerians off balance again with yet another change in the pump prices, from around N600 to N855/litre and above, depending on the area of purchase at NNPC stations nationwide. The price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) was adjusted upwards by the retailers, effectively putting pump prices at around N950 to as much as N1,400 in some parts of the country when government is yet to pay 70,000 naira minimum wage. Life as a Nigerian is getting harder and harder. Transportation and foodstuff will definitely go above board.
Government will have to come up with people friendly policies. Nigerians are hungry and angry. The question every Nigerian affected by these harsh policies is asking is: “God when will it end”? The roads are dry, our markets are empty, Doctors are on strike, people cannot afford basic health care, unemployment is increasing, insecurity, Nigerians are lamenting.
A look at the highlights of the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), survey as released by the National Bureau of Statistics, reveal that, 63% of persons living within Nigeria (133 million people) are multidimensionally poor. The National MPI is 0.257, indicating that poor people in Nigeria experience just over one-quarter of all possible deprivations. 65% of the poor (86 million people) live in the North, while 35% (nearly 47 million) live in the South. Poverty levels across States vary significantly, with the incidence of multidimensional poverty ranging from a low of 27% in Ondo to a high of 91% in Sokoto.
Over half of the population of Nigeria are multidimensionally poor and cook with dung, wood or charcoal, rather than cleaner energy. High deprivations are also apparent nationally in sanitation, time to healthcare, food insecurity, and housing. In general, the incidence of monetary poverty is lower than the incidence of multidimensional poverty across most states. In Nigeria, 40.1% of people are poor according to the 2018/19 national monetary poverty line, and 63% are multidimensionally poor according to the National MPI 2022.
How on earth will Nigeria/Nigerians survive with mere palliatives under these staggering figures of poverty. In the next life, rice will avoid Nigeria.
