HUNGER, HARDSHIP AND THE REPERCUSSION
Human existence is largely dependent on several factors, among which is what is referred to as “the basic necessities of life”. The four most important necessities of every human are water, food, shelter, and clothing. No human can do without the aforementioned.
However, because of the current state of the Nigeria’s economy, ravaged by hardship, poverty, unemployment, and continuous loss of job; meeting these needs has become a serious cause of concern and worry.
In the just released 2023 Global Hunger Index, GHI, Nigeria was ranked 109th out of 125 countries, with a score of 28.3 per cent, where countries that scored 20.0-34.9 have serious hunger. It means that Nigeria is the 16th most hungry country in the world amongst countries with sufficient data to calculate the 2023 GHI scores.
A large percentage of the masses struggle to eat two square meals. Thus, making a lot of people, especially youth to indulge in various crimes which they would not have, if they had the means of meeting this unavoidable need. Humans need food to survive as we are structured as such. Based on the information about life expectancy, the maximum time the human body can survive without food and water is one week. However, before a week elapses; the body would gradually weaken. So, the question is, how do we meet this need? To answer this question is what has made a lot of people go into crime of various degrees.
Also, only a few fortunate ones have access to good and safe water to drink and for domestic purposes. The water most people consume is the cause of most illness that ares avoidable. As such, adding to the already existing hardship. In Nigeria today, a lot of health issues would have been avoided if we are able to eat good and nutritious food and drink clean and safe water.
Talking about shelter, this is another aspect of great concern.
According to Punch newspaper (2023), Data review from world population states that; Nigeria has the world’s greatest number of homeless people. Within the nation, 24 million people do not have homes.
When you walk on the street, whether early in the morning or late at night, one tends to see a lot of people of different ages and gender lying in the street, carparks, and uncompleted buildings. With such views, an obvious conclusion can be drawn that they have no shelter. Because if they had one, they would not be there in different season.
I was passing by a site sometimes back, when I saw a group of teenagers; ages ranging between eleven to fifteen years, smoking cigarettes. A glance at them tells me that they were not new into it. I was so shocked that it took me few seconds to regain my composure. My shock was not because I had never seen people smoking before; but because I have never seen children did. With this, I decided to hang around for some time, until they all left the building. Afterwards, I called one of them, as if I had work for him, just to converse with him. It was during our conversation that I found out he was introduced to smoking at the age of nine years, while sleeping in an abandoned building during raining season, and was told it will help keep him warm. That is the negativity a child without shelter and guide can be exposed to.
Clothing, this is another need that must be met. We need clothes not only to beautify ourselves, feel good and cover our nakedness; but to protect us from sun, rain and cold. However, in Nigeria today how can one conveniently afford a decent set of clothing?
According to the report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)(2024) “Poverty levels are projected to increase to 38.8% in 2024. Despite the low unemployment rate in the country, low consumer spending and purchasing power remain an issue, especially in the absence of a commensurate increase in the minimum wage to mitigate the inflationary growth in the economy,”
Thus, with the current rate of unemployment and poverty, meeting these needs is very difficult. And doing otherwise, we risk battling different health challenges.
All these are resultant effect of the increase in crime, terrorism, kidnapping fraud, and evil vices we are faced with as a nation.
Written by
FUNMILAYO RACHEAL OMONIYI
Omoniyifunmilayo06@gmail.com
