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Dr. Aminu
Magashi Garba
The difference between Southern and Northern Nigeria
is palpable in every aspect of life, not only in terms
of and the huge gap in educational development, but
also in regards to industrialization, business, the
health care delivery system and the presence of international
development partners.
Vaccine Controversy
Southern Nigeria is indeed far ahead of the north.
When in the year 2004, northern Nigeria was engulfed
in a controversy over the safety of the Polio Vaccine,
it was obvious then that the fight was between the
north and the international development partners under
the global polio eradication programme.
Mixed Feelings
With respect to the sexuality education curriculum
– in 2002 when the Nigerian Educational Research and
Development Council (NERDC) in conjunction with the
Federal Ministry of Education, NGOs and many international
development partners drafted and proposed a curriculum
on sexuality education for both primary and secondary
schools - it was received with mix feelings and generated
a raging controversy especially in Northern Nigeria.
Within a very short time, the discussion on the acceptability
of the curriculum was hijacked by religious leaders
and other gatekeepers and this gave the issue different
connotations and colourations. Then, the media were
awash with all sorts of comments. A journalist reportedly
said that “the curriculum contains significant portions
that fester with the pus of reckless moral indiscretion”
which can outrage the sensibilities of parents, teachers
and moralists of all shades.
The Answer
I am of the firm belief that the Sexuality Education
Curriculum is one of the answers to the problem of
high maternal mortality as well as the unacceptable
prevalence of HIV/AIDS and Sexuality Transmitted Infections
(STIs ) in Nigeria. I would nevertheless like to note
that the initiators of the curriculum, while introducing
the initiative, did not carry out the required level
of advocacy to policy makers and other gate- keepers
across the federation to educate the leaders and the
public on the importance of the programme. They also
omitted to build cross-cutting and wide ranging partnerships
to ensure acceptability of the curriculum.
Health Issues
In trying to fathom the rationale behind the rejection
and the way out of the doldrums in Northern Nigeria,
we need to look at the health and social problems
bedevilling our societies which of course require
deep thought and sustainable solutions.
Nigeria’s maternal mortality Ratio is about 948/100,000
live births with a range between 300 and 1,700/100,000
live births. In a recent research conducted by the
Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Nigeria
( SOGON ) in six states of Nigeria, the maternal mortality
ratios of some of the states in the North was found
to be around 3000 death /100,000 live births.
Factors that contribute to high maternal mortality
amongst others are : obstructed labour which is associated
with early pregnancy; eclampsia (which is seen mostly
among young women below 18 years, during their first
pregnancy; unsafe abortions which are associated with
unplanned pregnancy and lack of access to correct
information and services on Reproductive Health (RH).
Most of these problems present more frequently among
adolescent women of primary or secondary school age.
HIV
With respect to HIV/AIDS, Nigeria’s prevalence rates
in 1999, 2001, 2003 were 5.4% , 5.8 % and 5.2 % respectively
and the country has about 4 Million of its population
infected and living with HIV/AIDS. Based on the National
Demographic Health Surveys (NDHS), adolescents and
youths below the age of twenty four are the most vulnerable
and affected by HIV/AIDS.
For the country to safeguard its future, it must
invest in its young population through empowerment
schemes and provision of quality, adequate and correct
information on diverge range of issues.
The Media
The antagonists of sexuality education are of the
belief that teaching such will equally lead to some
of the problems mentioned above; but I believe that
is far from it. If one looks at the nature of our
society, the adolescents and youth, bearing in mind
their adventurous nature, have other ways to access
information - through the Internet, satellite cable
networks, as well as the popular mass media; both
print and electronic.
Controlling the diverse sources of information will
remain a Herculean task to all of us. Unfortunately,
a large proportion of the information being released
by such Media are counter productive and capable of
leading to early initiation of sexual intercourse
which may lead to unplanned pregnancy, unsafe abortion
and exposure to HIV and other STIs and at times ultimate
death.
Mix-Up
Another worrisome phenomenon is the mixing-up of sexuality
with sex education; they are not the same. Sexuality
encompasses our entire life, values, norms, culture,
gender, how people perceive their bodies, sexual orientation
and behaviours, reproduction and procreation processes.
As I mentioned earlier, my view is that in initiating
the issue of a sexuality education curriculum, NERDC
and its local and international partners did not do
their ground work effectively to articulate the issues
and to engage the country in a national dialogue that
would engender the adoption of the sexuality education
programme.
Recommendations
There is no reason why NGOs in northern Nigeria should
surreptitiously teach or introduce the sexuality education
curriculum to schools. Rather, they should act from
the position of strength not weakness by engaging
stakeholders in a dialogue - be it parents, teachers
or religious leaders. This way, everybody will participate
and make contributions accordingly.
With the strategy I have proposed, the society would
claim ownership of the curriculum and in that respect,
the Media as the fourth arm of government, must be
involved to catalyse sustained debates and discussions
on sexuality issues. But that can only be possible
and effective if the Media is equally well informed
and trained on sexuality issues.
References
Health Sector Reform Document (2004) Federal Ministry
of Health, Nigeria
Weekly Trust Newspaper, June 28 – July 4,
2002
* By Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba, a public health
communicator and the executive director of Community
Health and Research Initiative, Kano in the northwest
of Nigeria
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