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WEDNESDAY. JULY 6. 201 1
The media and the challenge of nation building (1) ERMIT me to begin wIth a tribute to Torn Adctba and his contribution§ 10 the building of the media in Nigeria As a trainer and pioneer <!It the Televi5ion College in Jos, and as Direc.tor General of NigerIa 's Broadcas1ing Commission. his lilelong e rrorts peaked, with worlhy legacy. I lim glad our path! crossed not only In his TV College d<!lYS. when I ClIme as a dlreclor of JACARADA, the USA television consulting company, in 1983, but even in earlier limes. I have come armed with a photograph thllt might <!Imaze him: it was a group 01 us when he sliD had " full nead of hair end " fair amount of rascality in Bloomington , Indiana. in 1979, His 70 yt'aTS hlIve been eventful and \\1'Orlh celebrating. A fortnight ago. I was at another 70th birlhday celebration. It was a di nner to celebrate <!I fonner Group Managmg Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporati on M05t of the guests were former NNPC GMDs, and Nigerians who hilld served M Deputy CEOs of mullinilltional oil gilln ts. On my t<!lble. a rema~ about Ihe need to finish early so our drivers who had to trave l incredible d istances 10 Iheir places o f abode. could have a chillnce of gelling home before il was lime to set olf for the next day's work. led to a dISCUssion of Nigeria' 5 misery lOdex Then came th Is profound comment by Ihis Nigerian CEO of M oil company. Said he, "With Ihe possible excep tion of Australia. there Is no continent I have not hve'd and \VOIkf/'d In during Ihe last 40 yellTS. Nowhere In Ihe WOIld is living, just llymglo eke oul an exislence. more miserable th ... n here ~ Here could mean Utgos or Nigeria, hili the Human Oi!velopment Index of the United NIIUons Development Programme and mosl olher human condition barometers generally suggest thai Irving in Nigeria , for most ordinary people, IS the clo~1 thIng 10 being in man's imagery of hell It struck me during the conversation lhallhe cenlral inlerest or my adullHfe hilS been understllnding poverty and searching lor avenues of liberation thai ClIn Iree people Irom it. In my work as an academic. il would seem it clearly has Influenced ~illch and writing. including a book lilled. Why Nations are Poor lind one I am cummtly working on that has lhe rather cheeky title "The Pursuil of F\Nertyw My pioneenng lhe leaching of Entrepreneurship at the Lagos Business School WM motivated by the belief th<!l t if the spirit of enterprise flourishes. poverty would be in relreaL Those who like 10 Ihink I am a busine:ssman in fad do so bEocause the passion In tryrng
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Pal Uloml to walk my talk has led me Inlo a Busines, Angel avocation whkh hMseen me active on so many busine5S starl·ups wilh so many bruises to show for it. Even as a SOCIal entrepreneur, my twenty-year·old wo~ with poor widOV/S through a not· for.proflt NGO. The Widow SUpPOit Centre. stiD n>:f1ecl$ thai concern Same can be said for why I became iK:I:ive in politiCS. I enumerate these dimensions of being because I am convinced it WIlS enkindled by an encounter with journalism As a 2 1·year·old youlhs corps member reporUog fOI Newbreed, I wasfl~t challenged by the paradox 0 1 <!I rich country peopled by the poor. This IS why my mtic 01 the missIon of ext<!lnt journalism is rather _re o Just before one of the presidential debates, I said 10 a group of journalists Ihat the blame for Nigeria tittering on the brink of being <!I failed state. in Ihe midst of plenty. and of geographic loca tion i!ldvantage. hM 10 be bor.ne by many, and thai the media hM a good pari of the blame. I know that many top media exewlives may have been scandalised by my strong views because 11 is always easy to point to the tru lh of the high price the Nigerian media has paid for freedom in Ihe country, but not to realise how milch fu rther we could have ITi!lvellcd wiu be wallowing In a favouri te Nigerian pass· lime of beIng easy on the self. I WlI'J comfortable pushing thai Imlh because I knew I was an Insider. I have been part of Nigerian journalism for nearly 40 years as student, praditioner, scholar and Investor and could speak tru lh 10 the profl!i5ion. Many of loday's young reporters were probably toddlers when I wrote three different weekly columns, on Ihe economy, public afflllTs and general matters while "" exewtive of a mulhnallonal company in lhe 1980s Befole I turned my academic inlen?Sls 10 political .science. policy economics and business management. I hold actively studied the Nigerian media. My first accepted publication in an academic journal came in 1980 and was titled WHistoricaland PhilosophiCl\1 Foundations of Media Ownership tn !'Iigeri<!l" I still recaU that Oean Gray was excitedly puHing up a Mlice on my piece being accepted by this prestigious Eu ropean journal when I got nOlice a second one had been accepted, just as I moved 10 the Public Management School (SPEA). in Bloomington. to the displeasure of Dean Gray. al just abou t the lime Tom Adaba WM relurning to Nigeria. The media I sludied
and wrote about a5 a 23.year-old graduate student seemed both in sltuc.ture and sense of mIssion illS the one \\."e have too<!lY. Why isthis important? It isimporlan t because the question of media influence and the role it could play tn natIon building. When a people who live in Ihe most miserable conditions on the planet. relative to resource endO\\.'menb. cannot find their voice there Is a nalional tragedy being played out. It seems clear that the Nigeri<!l people can nol find their voice, <!I su rfeil of media notwithstanding Stephen R Covey afte r Ihe greal success of his book. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective people. decided he had found another compelling habll. This enormously Importanl habit, is, 'helping people find their voice' He thinks it the habit of the 21st century. Why is the voice of Nigerians lost In Ihis so-called democracy? How has tne medi<!l either he lped or played a role in squashing the voice 0 1 lhe peop1e or failed to arliwl<l:le il In til way thai advances human progress. T<!Ike my favourite subject of whal 10 do about poverty Ch:ford PrOfe5SOr of Economics. PooIuI Collier. In his book. The Bottom Billion . sh~ that 80 per cent of Ihe traditionally poor nalions of The world are rapidly moving forward . The trouble is WIth the aboul fifty failing Slates that give us one blilion people reversing globallnmds. How has the media which gives us editoriab on Nigerians ranking as the 141h most failed state in the world lought 10 prevent thai status? Could Nigeria have leached the end of poverty in the Jeffrey Sachs' 5I!nse if the media wele differenl ly disposed? Does the media have such capacity for Inlluence? Let me say here Ihat I am not naive aboul media influence. [have lived ihrough the rise ilInd fillil of the hypodermic needle Ihesis that assumed unalloyed power of the media to influence. through theory in which opinion leaders modulate media influence But I am clear in my mind 01 the agenda selling function of the media and Ihe statu5 ronferral lundion thesis which proposes thai those who appear in the media can gel a halo elfect Thai obviously can result in influence So who don Ihe medill sha..vcase. the villll.ge teacher who has affected lives or Ihe 41ger masquerading as <!I politician? We kn()l.V from our recent history that il is not likely to be the diligent teacher. ·Pro/. Uloml1s a ,Jo/ll/col eCOliomisl ond/ollllde r of (h e Centre/or Valu f:S anrl Lendershlp, 50 differenl
Tackling climate change through tree planting ~
Importance of the emergence of trees before the OOvent
1 of man on earth IS not lost on modem scIence. which
recognises that without trel!5 manufacturing oxygen , life on earth would ha ve been impoSSible As Ihe entire world is today focu~In9 attention on global warming and ib allendant effect~ on climatic changes. it is imperative that Ihe public be mor~ educated Md enlighlened on the efficacy o f trees Although planting of trees hM long been a suggestion to belief the earth. the re is a desperolle need lor susT<!Iined action at making iT not just an annuat rilual as it is being practised in most slates or the counlry but what everybody. I!5peclall~' land owner!, musl embrace if we are not to lake Ihe cntical phenomenon of climale change for granted. Climate experts believe Ihat human-Induced global deforestation is responSIble for 18-25 per cent 01 global elim<!lle change The Uniled Nations. WOlld BMk and olher leadIng non.gove rnmental organisations have been in The forefronl of encou raging re·fo leslation. aVO ided de-forestation and other projeru thai encou rage tree planling to mlligale Ihe effects of climate change. It is common knowledge thai Iree planting IS a ~r y simple but less expensive universal approach to tackling the Ihreat of climate change. But II is ironic Ihat as simple as Ihis see ms, a grealer percentage of people in the society pay lillie Ot no attention 10 il Probably. Ihe purpose is slill nol yet understood or as usual. with the Nigenan ment<!llity. we are wailing for a time when we will have to take reactive actIon Trees have been scientifically proved 10 be very useful as flrslline o f defence In the fight agains t global warming <!IS Ihey absorb Ihe U1rbon..ctioxlde in Ihe atmosphere. replenish the aIr WIth oxygen and also conilibute Immensely to the aesthet ics of the envi ronment· They also check elosion and stem the tide of windstorm by serving as Wind bre<!lkers. On another nole. trees ant brilliant elei'ln~~ . They remove olhe r pollutants through the stomales in Ihe leaf surface. II is considered Ihal
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trees act as what some call a carbon sink, sloring the gas In ilS branches. trunk, [eaves etc. Instead of leaving the gas to become free noatlng <!Ind furlher polluting the "Imosphere In this natural funclion alone, trees directly reduce the growth of the greenhouse effect and counteract the Inciden ce of globlll warming Trees also serve the purpose o f over<!lll air quality enhancer. and a much needed one a t That. They prOVide na1Ural h<!lbilats for many small creatures. and reduce the temperature by providing shade. All in a ll . a tree is nol just a beautiful CtI!<!Iture stilnding amongSI the many phenomenal picluresque sellings of Ihis world. it is a powerful and vital tool IhaT diredly ensures ou r 5urvival. In Nigeria. it appears we don' t apprecia te preparedness and preven hon of disasten but wail for problems before taking act ion despite our weak infras tru ctural deve lopment. While It Is often fashionable \q blame government for pa thelic he<!llthcare facilities, pitiable eduCllIional5tructures and weak infrastructure. climate change challenge i:!;; a collective responsibilily T<!Ickil ng il musttherelore, involve every segment of the society. But the inltiaUve to 51art and mobilise olhel stilkeholders is Ihat of a responsive and responsible government. II is 10 the light o f Ihill that one wou ld have to appreciale the efforts 01 Ihe Lagos Slate governmen t It has taken a leading role in lis appr~ch 10 Ihe climate change phenomenon This h<!ls manlfesled in the greening and beaulilic<!llion 01 open spaces, decrepit loops, verges and medians <!Icross the state. The Babalunde Fashola administration is unrelenting in the eftortto bring back as much greenery as possi ble TO the state. For inllance. on September 2. 2008. over250. 000 Irees were pl<!lnted state-wide. On Inal occasion , the governor sel a mark 01 plolnling I million Ireel In four years and decla red July 14 of eve ry year as commemor<!ltive day for Ire e p lanl1ng exerci~. Gladly. by the filst anniversary in July 2009. Ihe state governmenT had al ready planted one million trees and
again raised the targel to fi ve million trees in another four years It has also been able to brmg the corporale orga nisalions and ind iViduals inlo th e project as ils various parlners have bought Into the vision Plivale Individuillis were also encouraged to plant Irees i'lround their houses while it is now unlawful to lelltrees in Lagos Slate wllhout a written approval from Ihe Ministry of the Envi ronment In 2009. the stale government cond ucled a tree taggmg, enumeration and idenllficatlon exerCIse which Included trees in Ikeja GRA. Apapa and Iko y;' At Ihe end of the elCerclse. 3.558 Ireel were counted in the Ihree zones and Ihey \\"ere lagged with bOlanical and local names as well <!IS use fulness whic h included aeslhelio. medicmal purposes The exerCIse has been extended 10 cover Ihe entire state. This will also assist in delermining areas that require replenishmenl lind how many of such Trees should be planted to stem soil degradation Anolher unique area where Ihe stale government I~ leadmg in the Iree planling campaign is in the launchmg of dimale chllnge dubs in schools as pari of actions taken 10 sensl\ise the younger generation on dimale change and its impact on the society. Results hom schools show that Ihis initialive is effective as Ihe popularity of the climate change theme song in the §Iale's public schools is soaring high aooss Ihe stale. Since every Iree makes <!I difference. every person that plants a tree also makes ill difference. For us to achieve the Iriendly environment tha t we desire. il IS a traditIon Ihal everyone musl embrace Individuals, corporale organisaTions. religious bodies and all well· me<!lning Nigenan musl key into the tree pl<!lnling project Considering Ihe simple and ;nelCpenSlve nalure of tree planting as well as Its numerous advantages. the time to embrace the cuhure Is now l 'Musbau Is of th e Logos S tm l! Minis' ry of '''fo rmoUon oud Slrotegy, AloII SO.