Opinion
A Disturbing Trend In Schools
I was incredibly indignant at the tragedy that befell Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos, where two students, identified as Vivian Osainiyi and Bithia Itulua, died of cholera, resulting from the poor state of hygiene in the school. Besides the fatalities, no fewer than 16 students were admitted to various health institutions for medical attention.
It can hardly be imagined what would have gone through the minds of parents, guardians, relatives and perhaps well-meaning Nigerians when news of the tragic incident broke. Thanks to the Health Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who quickly directed that urgent investigations be made into the unfortunate incident.
It is quite amazing that such development could occur at Queen’s College, an institution that has maintained an enviable record of excellence in all endeavours for many years. Anyway, that may have changed along with the general decadence in the country.
Several factors have been adduced for the calamities. First, it is claimed that laboratory analyses revealed that water sources were highly contaminated.
Others allege that the school’s conveniences were improperly maintained. Whatever the reasons might be, the common denominator remains that something didn’t just add up with the hygienic conditions of the school.
Regrettably, this is not the first time this particular institution is making the news obviously for the wrong reasons. Last year, the school was hit by a scandal when a female student claimed sexual harassment by a male teacher. Investigations were conducted but only heaven knows how the matter was concluded.
This killer-event is a metaphor for similar developments in the country. Schools are established without proper attention to hygienic issues that affect students. What is of paramount interest to most school authorities is to extort parents and realise large sums of money enough to care for their wants and their greed.
Potable water and decent conveniences are imperatives and essential to the very existence of a school. When there is no water, toilets are often left in squalid conditions that exploit the susceptibilities of students and expose them to diseases like the ones that exterminated the Queen’s College students.
It is embarrassing and unimaginable that even till date, many public and private schools including some higher institutions, use unconventional, unsanitary toilets like pit latrines. Unarguably, this has claimed the lives of many students or pupils who have always courted infection.
Sometime ago in Port Harcourt, a primary school pupil was reportedly found dead in an open pit latrine in the school. This sad incident happens unannounced every now and then in different parts of the country. There are schools without toilets, making students to defecate in the open and expose precious lives to danger.
Unfortunately, this situation is not limited to schools. Camps established by religious bodies during major religious activities, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps, the various IDP camps in the country and many others lack the luxury of decent toilets. Conditions like this take people closer to their graves.
The incident at Queen’s College is indeed regrettable. It indicates the scant attention paid to sanitation and health in schools, especially public schools by the authorities. It is a shame that the management of the College was insouciant about the students who have been entrusted to their care.
If state-owned schools are neglected because state governments have always claimed that they have too many primary and secondary schools to contend with, will the Federal Government say likewise? Shouldn’t they set a good example to the states by providing basic amenities in all the unity schools they own?
The cataclysmic incident at the Queen’s College should be instructive to all school proprietors. For this reason, every school in the country has to take inventory of their sanitary conditions.
I would like unscheduled visits to be made to schools by supervising authorities to keep head teachers and principals watchful and avert a recurrence of the bad situation.
I need to emphasise that in the good old days, living in school dormitories was a very pleasurable experience. Many students learnt hygienic lifestyles and practices from the adventure. Beddings sparkled while food was delicious and qualitative. School inspections were regular occurrences to ensure that quality was maintained. That is now history.
If this happenstance continues, the future of the country will remain bleak or uncertain. It is, therefore, significant for both state and federal governments to understand that they have to establish only schools they can fund adequately.
The ignominy of denying schools something as basic as conveniences is unacceptably gross, largely because of the health implications.
Arnold Alalibo
From all indications, Nigeria possesses enough human and material resources to become a true economic powerhouse in Africa. According to the National Population Commission (NPC, 2023), the country’s population has grown steadily within the last decade, presently standing at about 220 million people—mostly young, vibrant, and innovative. Nigeria also remains the sixth-largest oil producer in the world, with enormous reserves of gas, fertile agricultural land, and human capital.
Yet, despite this enormous potential, the country continues to grapple with underdevelopment, poverty, unemployment, and insecurity. Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS, 2023) show that about 129 million Nigerians currently live below the poverty line. Most families can no longer afford basic necessities, even as the government continues to project a rosy economic picture.
The Subsidy Question
The removal of fuel subsidy in 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been one of the most controversial policy decisions in Nigeria’s recent history. According to the president, subsidy removal was designed to reduce fiscal burden, unify the foreign exchange rate, attract investment, curb inflation, and discourage excessive government borrowing.
While these objectives are theoretically sound, the reality for ordinary Nigerians has been severe hardship. Fuel prices more than tripled, transportation costs surged, and food inflation—already high—rose above 30% (NBS, 2023). The World Bank (2023) estimates that an additional 7.1 million Nigerians were pushed into poverty after subsidy removal.
A Critical Economic View
As an economist, I argue that the problem was not subsidy removal itself—which was inevitable—but the timing, sequencing, and structural gaps in Nigeria’s implementation.
- Structural Miscalculation
Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries remain nonfunctional. By removing subsidies without local refining capacity, the government exposed the economy to import-price pass-through effects—where global oil price shocks translate directly into domestic inflation. This was not just a timing issue but a fundamental policy miscalculation.
- Neglect of Social Safety Nets
Countries like Indonesia (2005) and Ghana (2005) removed subsidies successfully only after introducing cash transfers, transport vouchers, and food subsidies for the poor (World Bank, 2005). Nigeria, however, implemented removal abruptly, shifting the fiscal burden directly onto households without protection.
- Failure to Secure Food and Energy Alternatives
Fuel subsidy removal amplified existing weaknesses in agriculture and energy. Instead of sequencing reforms, government left Nigerians without refinery capacity, renewable energy alternatives, or mechanized agricultural productivity—all of which could have cushioned the shock.
Political and Public Concerns
Prominent leaders have echoed these concerns. Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, described the subsidy removal as “good but wrongly timed.” Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party also faulted the government’s hasty approach. Human rights activists like Obodoekwe Stive stressed that refineries should have been made functional first, to reduce the suffering of citizens.
This is not just political rhetoric—it reflects a widespread economic reality. When inflation climbs above 30%, when purchasing power collapses, and when households cannot meet basic needs, the promise of reform becomes overshadowed by social pain.
Broader Implications
The consequences of this policy are multidimensional:
- Inflationary Pressures – Food inflation above 30% has made nutrition unaffordable for many households.
- Rising Poverty – 7.1 million Nigerians have been newly pushed into poverty (World Bank, 2023).
- Middle-Class Erosion – Rising transport, rent, and healthcare costs are squeezing household incomes.
- Debt Concerns – Despite promises, government borrowing has continued, raising sustainability questions.
- Public Distrust – When government promises savings but citizens feel only pain, trust in leadership erodes.
In effect, subsidy removal without structural readiness has widened inequality and eroded social stability.
Missed Opportunities
Nigeria’s leaders had the chance to approach subsidy removal differently:
- Refinery Rehabilitation – Ensuring local refining to reduce exposure to global oil price shocks.
- Renewable Energy Investment – Diversifying energy through solar, hydro, and wind to reduce reliance on imported petroleum.
- Agricultural Productivity – Mechanization, irrigation, and smallholder financing could have boosted food supply and stabilized prices.
- Social Safety Nets – Conditional cash transfers, food vouchers, and transport subsidies could have protected the most vulnerable.
Instead, reform came abruptly, leaving citizens to absorb all the pain while waiting for theoretical long-term benefits.
Conclusion: Reform With a Human Face
Fuel subsidy removal was inevitable, but Nigeria’s approach has worsened hardship for millions. True reform must go beyond fiscal savings to protect citizens.
Economic policy is not judged only by its efficiency but by its humanity. A well-sequenced reform could have balanced fiscal responsibility with equity, ensuring that ordinary Nigerians were not crushed under the weight of sudden change.
Nigeria has the resources, population, and resilience to lead Africa’s economy. But leadership requires foresight. It requires policies that are inclusive, humane, and strategically sequenced.
Reform without equity is displacement of poverty, not development. If Nigeria truly seeks progress, its policies must wear a human face.
References
- National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). (2023). Poverty and Inequality Report. Abuja.
- National Population Commission (NPC). (2023). Population Estimates. Abuja.
- World Bank. (2023). Nigeria Development Update. Washington, DC.
- World Bank. (2005). Fuel Subsidy Reforms: Lessons from Indonesia and Ghana. Washington, DC.
- OPEC. (2023). Annual Statistical Bulletin. Vienna.
By: Amarachi Amaugo