Précis
Every week, I share a run-through of events that shaped politics and society, here and elsewhere. Enjoy!
Facebook Africa releases a book on exceptional women making strides on the continent, days before the world celebrates International Women’s Day 2021. Will this help push patriarchy and gender inequality further to the sidelines? After an enduring wait, Nigeria receives her first tranche of COVID-19 vaccines. Conspiracies, transparency tests lie in wait for the West African country amid rollout. A leak reveals the UK Foreign Office is keen on cutting development aids to eight countries. The affected countries could face tough times.
Here’s the serving for the week:
DEFYING THE ODDS
From the earliest years of human existence to the advanced world we currently live in, women have played one life-changing role or the other. Facebook Africa pulled off great work on spotlighting these roles in the freshly minted ‘LeadHers: Life Lessons from African Women’. Illustrated brilliantly by four women creatives, the collection follows the career and life trajectories of 19 exceptional women from 15 African countries, including Nigeria. Entrepreneurs Temie Giwa-Tubosun and Tara Fela-Durotoye are featured in the collection. Readers will enjoy the free-flowing narratives shared by the women — stamping out gender inequality and discrimination everywhere is a central theme. The quotes and decisions made by these women are as inspiring as they come too. It’s sure to start conversations in schools, offices and communities, as the world celebrates International Women’s Day tomorrow. Excellent.
Read or download ‘LeadHers’ here.
COVID VACCINATION
Lagos streets throw ‘big’ parties as COVID-19 jabs arrive Nigeria…Reject COVID jabs, religious leaders tell worshippers…Cold chain facilities housing COVID-19 jabs looted…Okay, that’s me being mischievous. Lol. But on a more serious note, what do these ‘headlines’ say to you? The ongoing rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, spearheaded by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, could face challenges from conspiracy theorists at our worship centres and streets. Because we are so “religious” in this part of the world, some citizens may refuse to take from the 3.924m COVID-19 jabs Nigeria received on Tuesday. Investment in strategic and sustained awareness helps, hopefully, we’d be deliberate enough to look in this direction. As the sole custodian of the COVID jabs, the Federal Government should come clean with the disbursement of these jabs and the batches that will follow over the next year. Key.
AID CUTS
Bad times seem to be ‘loading’ for eight countries should the UK Foreign Office effect development aid cuts to developing and war-torn countries. Although the decision is still open to further discussions, implementing the review — from the legal target of 0.7% of gross national income to 0.5% — will adversely affect Somalia, South Sudan, Libya, Syria, Nigeria, west Balkans, the Sahel and the Democratic Republic of Congo in varying proportions. The cut has been brewing since November 2020, when the office first considered the review. No other G7 country (the UK is a member of the G7 bloc) is cutting its aid programme at the moment; it is only wise for the UK government to shift grounds. There is also the “death sentence” this decision will administer to the affected countries, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The UK government should take another critical look. Rethink.
