| As customary to my write ups, I try to reflect on | | | | POVERTY AND HUNGER ERADICATION: Poverty |
| sundry issues as it concerns Nigeria and the rest of | | | | and hunger remains the biggest scourge ravaging the |
| the developing (sounding cynical; underdeveloped) | | | | African continent, but with the advancement of |
| economies. As we are still struggling to catch up with | | | | technology, with information technology and the |
| the rest of the world mostly the West on every | | | | Internet, food produced in the United States, |
| issue that regards development of values. Laying | | | | Canada, Europe and the Asian Tigers can be easily |
| credence to this fact can be seen in the way we use | | | | sent to Africa and other parts of the world where it |
| the internet, the GSM communication system and | | | | is needed. During wars and strife, like experienced in |
| every other innovation that is Information | | | | the Nigerian/Biafran war that lasted between the |
| Technology based. Now back to the issue that gave | | | | periods of 1967-1970, there was a dearth of food |
| rise to this write up, the Millennium Development | | | | and medical attention most especially on the Biafran |
| Goals (MDG). | | | | side as a result of an information blockade by the |
| The Millennium Development Goals are sets of eight | | | | Nigerian Government. |
| point Agenda aligned by the United Nations to see it's | | | | But with the improvement of Information technology, |
| underdeveloped members with a low Human | | | | no matter where such problems are, the satellites will |
| Development Index (HDI) and low per capita income | | | | pick up signals and therefore do all that is required to |
| (as most of these countries live an average of a | | | | be done to reduce the problems associated with lack |
| dollar a day) to become developed by the target | | | | of food and other supplements. As a local importer |
| year 2015. The motion was adopted by 149 leaders | | | | based in Nigeria or any part of the developing world, |
| from different parts of the Globe and adopted by | | | | you can get hooked up with big time farmers based |
| 189 countries in the year 2000. These agendas or | | | | in Europe or the United States etc via the internet |
| goals were derived from the United Nations Millennium | | | | through the company's website and email address. |
| Declaration in view of the various problems still | | | | Agricultural produce can be easily exported saving |
| plaguing the developing world | | | | the cost that would have been originally spent on |
| The millennium Development Goals are the world's | | | | flight tickets, hotel booking and reservations, taxes |
| answer and targets for addressing extreme poverty | | | | etc and also eliminating the role of the middle man |
| in various dimensions; such as income poverty; lack | | | | which greatly saves the cost of production and |
| of adequate shelter, hunger; and disease among | | | | importation. |
| others, while at the same time promoting Education, | | | | HIV/AIDS (PLWHA): The HIV/AIDS pandemic |
| gender equality and environmental sustainability. | | | | currently pervading the African continent with Nigeria |
| Now to the crux of the matter, these millennium | | | | and South Africa trailing India in that order, can be |
| goals looking at our peculiar situations and conditions, | | | | deduced from lack of adequate information, but with |
| how can it be attained? Now we are in the age of | | | | the recent development as regards information |
| information and as such it is inherent that we look at | | | | technology, this scourge can be well taken care of. |
| how we can as nations yet to bereckoned in world | | | | The introduction of mobile clinics and diagnostic |
| economy, use the information at our disposal to | | | | centers whose activities in remote and rustic areas |
| make this a reality by the target year 2015. The | | | | most especially, was made possible by the |
| internet, GSM Technology etc, has come to stay | | | | information technology phenomenon, where a doctor |
| with us, and information technology remains the only | | | | in a far away clinic for example a doctor in John |
| veritable tool that can be used to usher in a new | | | | Hopkins University hospital in the United States can |
| dawn where the basic human right such as the rights | | | | with the use of sophisticated gadgets diagnose and |
| of each person on the planet to health, education, | | | | cure patients via a satellite and a modem installed |
| shelter and security as well as gender equality and | | | | both at the clinic in America and the remote location. |
| empowerment of women can be attained on a | | | | With this development, HIV/AIDS patients or PLWHA |
| platter. It has been noticed that countries like China | | | | (PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS) and other deadly |
| and India inundated with population explosion but | | | | illnesses can now be managed, as the constraint |
| embraced the IT idea as the only veritable tool to | | | | caused by distance has been removed with the |
| enhance their human development, has witnessed a | | | | advancement in information Technology. |
| geometric increase in their per capita income and | | | | POWER AND ENERGY: As part of the Millennium |
| overall human development index, available statistics | | | | Development Goals of the United Nations, power and |
| and other forms of data and economic indicators can | | | | other renewable forms of energy has been |
| lay credence to this fact. | | | | understudied over the past decade or so, since fossil |
| Now if I may digress a bit, I'll state here that for the | | | | fuel deposits continue to deplete with replenishing, it |
| millennium goals to be achieved by Nigeria and the | | | | becomes pertinent for countries whose economies |
| rest of the developing economies; urgent steps | | | | are centered on it to advance and diversify their |
| should be taken to implement the following:computer | | | | economy so as to be among the league of nations |
| literacy programs beginning from kindergarten to all | | | | with high human development index, and if one |
| levels of the individual's developmentfunding of | | | | should ask, how else can this be achieved if not by |
| information technology institutes by the government | | | | information technology. Recently a group of scientist |
| as well as private sectorpartnering with developed | | | | built an automobile that can be powered by air, |
| nations by encouraging exchange programs mostly at | | | | amazing it sounds; one of the wonders of IT. More |
| the tertiary institution level increased funding in | | | | discoveries and innovations will be made, as earlier |
| medical researches and other IT based medical | | | | discoveries like space science has improved virtually |
| programs | | | | all sectors of the economy of Nations like the United |
| The agricultural sector should experience an | | | | States, Russia, and Europe in medicine |
| increment in funding of all its programs most | | | | telecommunication, military, etc. |
| especially IT based researches so as to report a | | | | From the for going, one cannot overemphasize the |
| massive output in production for local consumption as | | | | importance of information Technology as a tool for |
| well as export. | | | | human and resources development, just as the |
| The menace faced by the continent as a result of | | | | industrial revolution of the 18th century that ushered |
| hunger and poverty, HIV/AIDS pandemic, depletion | | | | in a new dawn that has remained evergreen in the |
| of renewable energy and resources etc, can be | | | | annals of history, so will it create an unprecedented |
| addressed as stated below if information Technology | | | | and indelible mark that will remain evergreen in the |
| can be enhanced in every facet of our economy and | | | | sands of time. |
| the general polity. | | | | |