National Issues
When academic training is trivialized: The agonies and pains of a Nigerian social work professional
IT was Sir Malthus who identified that nations fail to progress because they have an economy that grows arithmetically while population grows geometrically. Most definitely, a geometrically increasing population will be left with no choice but to scramble for the paltry proceeds of an arithmetically increasing economy. The end becomes a war of all against all where man becomes pathetically brutish and nasty as put forward by Thomas Hobbes. Vulnerability, poverty and deprivation would definitely become imminent, and then we wish for a change in government, miracles from God or sometimes, outright death.
No matter how difficult the world is and how pernicious the economy becomes, there are proven ways of survival. So we ask, why has Nigeria refused looking deep into history to see that nations progress because they achieve complementary significance between economic and social development? Why has Nigeria failed to consider through historical times the roles played by Rev. Sollys Charity Organisation Society and Jane Addams Settlement House in managing the pitiable social and economic consequences emanating from the industrial revolution? Why cant Nigeria ask itself, what should be so special about these people called social workers that developed nations and developing nations like South Africa and Ghana etc. have made an integral part of their development with the status of professionalization? Many questions can add to these being asked, but not many answers can be given.
In one of the defining moments in social work history that led to the professionalization of social work in the United States of America, Mary Richmond stated The question now is how to get educated young men and women to make a life vocation of being concerned with the needy, vulnerable and the oppressed to make a life vocation of charity work. Richmonds 1897 statement galvanized the establishment of Applied School of Philanthropy which provided the American social space with well-trained social workers in varying fields of social interest ranging from schools, libraries, hospitals, airports, social welfare agencies, prisons, juvenile courts, law courts, community centres, psychiatric facilities, old peoples homes, administration and policy, etc. Consequently, social work became sanctioned with a professional status by law during the early/mid-20th century in the USA. Same fate applied to the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and contemporary leading Asian and African nations like Singapore, India, Egypt, South Africa and Ghana.
Nigeria had a very strong social work base during the colonial era. In fact, the colonial masters ensured that they married three important areas of human welfare in order to preserve our society. These areas were, medicine, religion and social work. While they gave medicines to our ailments and religion to our spirit, they never failed to provide care for destitute, indigents, homeless children, sociopath/psychopath, among other vulnerable and needy groups, and very importantly, they also challenged some cultural practices that dehumanize the human being. So, one would ask with the social care and social work which the colonial master made an integral part of his governance structure, what must have happened onward? The truth is that the colonial master gave social work to non-social workers and the latter never appreciated it, thinking that anyone can offer such services. With such reckless handling of social work, which the United Nations attested to, a meeting of social welfare ministers of third world nations in 1968 was conveyed by the UN.
In lieu of that meeting, Dr. A. H. Shawky came to Nigeria in 1970 to study its social space and make recommendations on Nigerias social development. Very key to his recommendations was the training of social work professionals as well as legal sanction of the profession to drive to fruition the social development goals of the country at its three tiers. To accentuate the report of Shawky to action, the 1974 Social Development Decree came to be. University of Nigeria, Nsukka from 1976 became the citadel of training social workers at Diploma level, and in 1987 it levelled up to awarding Bachelors Degree. Currently, the school alongside other private and public tertiary institutions award up to Masters and PhD in social work. Thus, the country has lived up to Shawkys recommendation in producing plethora of trained social workers who are skilled in scientific helping and social protection. Sadly, these good number of social workers have not been given the platform by law to man Nigerias social development space. Rather, unqualified and untrained persons have leverage our supposed positions and making a mockery of them.
It is strange that in this time and age, a country like Nigeria is yet to have a full fledge social work profession to guarantee it social welfare at all levels. It is stranger that we still ask to get clarified on the status of a noble profession that have successfully thrived in other nations of the world with its achievements to show at personal and structural levels. Can a social worker pose to be lawyer or who he is not trained to be? Why then do we allow people who are yet to understand the dynamics of scientific helping do what social workers have been painstakingly trained to do? Are we aware that in the training process of social workers as stipulated by its curriculum, 60% of training time must be spent in the field [prison, school, social welfare agency, research/policy, hospital, among other agencies]? The social workers you see in Nigeria go through these rigours just to give their all for a better society. Is it not criminal to train a man for a particular task and let another who did not go through such rigours take his job?
It is at this point the government must realize the evil and harm it is committing against itself. The government must know that all of its problems ranging from illegal migration, school truancy, illiteracy, terrorism, family breakdown, communal clashes, juvenile delinquency, illegal/arbitrary arrest, destitution, crime, among others, can be traceable to the absence of professionals trained to confront them. We hereby put forward to the government to approve the Nigerian Council for Social Work Establishment Bill 2017 to regulate social work activities in line with global best practices, and give to the country what it best deserves in social development terms.
Written by Uzoma Odera Okoye Ph.D.
Professor of Social Work
Head, Department of Social Work,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
uzokoye@yahoo.co.uk
The Nigerian government spent a staggering $3.58 billion on servicing foreign debt within the first nine months of 2024, marking a significant 39.77% increase compared to the $2.56 billion expended over the same period in 2023.
This data, drawn from a recent report on international payment statistics by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), reflects a concerning rise in the country’s foreign debt obligations amid depreciating currency values.
According to the report, the most substantial monthly debt servicing payment occurred in May 2024, totaling $854.37 million. This is a substantial 286.52% increase from May 2023’s $221.05 million.
Meanwhile, the highest monthly payment for 2023 was $641.7 million in July, underscoring the trend of Nigeria’s escalating debt costs.
Detailed analysis of monthly payments further illuminates the trend.
In January 2024, debt servicing costs surged by 398.89%, reaching $560.52 million, a significant rise from $112.35 million in January 2023. However, February saw a modest reduction of 1.84%, with costs decreasing from $288.54 million in 2023 to $283.22 million in 2024. March also recorded a decline of 31.04%, down to $276.17 million from $400.47 million the previous year.
Additional fluctuations in debt payments continued throughout the year, with June witnessing a slight decrease of 6.51% to $50.82 million from $54.36 million in 2023. July 2024 payments dropped by 15.48%, while August showed a 9.69% decline compared to 2023. September, however, reversed the trend with a 17.49% increase, highlighting persistent pressure on foreign debt obligations.
With the rise in exchange rates exacerbating these financial strains, Nigeria’s foreign debt servicing costs are projected to remain elevated.
The central bank’s data highlights how these obligations are stretching national resources as the naira’s devaluation continues to impact debt repayment in dollar terms.
Rising State Debt Levels Add Pressure
The federal government’s debt challenges are mirrored by state governments, whose collective debt rose to N11.47 trillion by June 30, 2024.
Despite allocations from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) and internally generated revenue (IGR), states remain heavily reliant on federal transfers to meet budgetary demands.
According to the Debt Management Office (DMO), the debt burden for Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) rose by 14.57% from N10.01 trillion in December 2023.
In naira terms, debt rose by 73.46%, from N4.15 trillion to N7.2 trillion, primarily due to the naira’s depreciation from N899.39 to N1,470.19 per dollar within six months. External debt for states and the FCT also increased from $4.61 billion to $4.89 billion during this period.
Further data from BudgIT’s 2024 State of States report illustrates how reliant states are on federal support. The report revealed that 32 states depended on FAAC allocations for at least 55% of their revenue in 2023.
In fact, 14 states relied on FAAC for 70% or more of their revenue. This heavy dependence on federal transfers underscores the vulnerability of states to fluctuations in federal revenue, particularly those tied to oil prices.
The economic challenges facing both the federal and state governments are stark. The combination of mounting foreign debt, fluctuating exchange rates, and high reliance on federally distributed revenue suggests a need for fiscal reforms to bolster revenue generation and reduce vulnerability to external shocks.
With foreign debt obligations continuing to grow, the report emphasizes the urgency for Nigeria to address its debt sustainability to foster long-term economic stability.
Engr. Aderemi Oseni, representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo State in the House of Representatives, has called for a prompt investigation into the increasing occurrences of building collapses in major cities across Nigeria.
In a motion presented to the House on Wednesday, Oseni expressed deep concern over the alarming frequency of building collapses, emphasising the threat they pose to the lives and property of Nigerians.
The APC lawmaker, through a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, cited the recent collapse of a two-storey school building at Saint Academy in Busa Buji, Jos, Plateau State, on July 12, 2024. The tragic incident, which trapped 154 people and claimed 22 lives, is the latest in a series of similar disasters, raising serious concerns nationwide.
Oseni also referenced a report from The Punch newspaper, which revealed that Nigeria had recorded 135 building collapse incidents between 2022 and July 2024.
“This figure is alarming and unacceptable,” he stated, stressing the urgency of preventing further occurrences.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Oseni reminded the House that the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and other relevant professional bodies are responsible for ensuring compliance with building standards and practices.
“Despite these regulatory frameworks, the recurring collapses suggest that enforcement is lacking. The loss of lives, properties, and resources is staggering, and this disturbing trend must be addressed immediately,” he remarked.
He proposed the formation of an Adhoc Committee to investigate the underlying causes of these collapses and recommend both immediate and long-term solutions.
Also, he urged the House Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure swift implementation of any recommendations.
The House agreed to deliberate on the motion and is expected to present its findings and proposed actions within eight weeks.
The Vice-chairman of the Oyo Council of Obas and Chiefs, Oba Francis Olusola Alao, has expressed deep concern over the increasing involvement of religious leaders in material pursuits, accusing them of abandoning their spiritual duties in favour of wealth and influence.
Oba Alao, who is also the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, made this statement during a visit from the leadership of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement “Ayo Ni O,” led by Baba Aladura Prophet Emmanuel Abiodun Alogbo, at his palace in Surulere Local Government on Thursday.
The monarch accused some religious leaders of sharing part of the blame for the moral and political crises that have engulfed the nation. According to him, spiritual leaders, once seen as the moral compass of society, have become compromised by corruption, aligning themselves with the very forces they should condemn.
Oba Alao was unapologetic in his criticism, stating, “Ninety-five percent of Nigerian leaders, both political and religious, are spiritually compromised.”
He argued that this moral decay among clerics has made it impossible for them to hold political leaders accountable or speak the truth to those in power, as their integrity has been eroded by their pursuit of material wealth.
“Carnality has taken over spirituality. Our religious leaders can no longer speak the truth to those in authority because their minds have been corrupted. Most of the so-called General Overseers (G.O.) are corrupt and perverted,” Oba Alao added.
He stressed that this shift towards wealth accumulation at the expense of spiritual values has greatly contributed to the country’s stagnation in development and social justice.
Olugbon urged both religious leaders and traditional rulers to reflect on their actions, reminding them that they would be held accountable for their stewardship, both in this world and the next.
“The prayers of sinners are an abomination before God, hence the need for our leaders to rethink,” he warned.
The monarch concluded by reiterating the transient nature of power and the importance of staying true to sacred duties, regardless of the temptation to indulge in worldly gains. “I am a traditional ruler. I don’t belong, and will never belong, to any occultic groups,” he emphasised, drawing a clear line between his position and the corrupt practices of some leaders.
In response to the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement’s request for collaboration on community development projects, Oba Alao assured them of his support.
“Your requests are aimed at the development of the Orile Igbon community. I am assuring you that necessary assistance will be provided in this regard.”
Earlier, Prophet Alogbo requested the monarch’s collaboration on a range of community development projects. These initiatives include the establishment of a women and youth empowerment center, clean drinking water initiatives, a bakery, animal production facilities, and farm produce processing.
Other proposals included a diagnostic and medical center, a full-size recreational sports facility, and a home care facility for the elderly.
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