URBAN POVERTY: A STUDY OF ISALE OJA COMMUNITY IN AGEGE LGA, LAGOS
INTRODUCTION
We are living in what is often described as the "urban century". Most of the world's economy and more than half its population are now in urban areas. The world continues to urbanise – and most of the growth in the world's population is in urban areas in low- and middle-income countries.
Worldwide, the urban poor have extremely limited access to essential services such as water, sanitation, electricity, and healthcare. As a result, being poor or simply living in a poor neighborhood has a negative effect that goes beyond lack of economic resources. Living in poverty affects health, nutrition, and educational and employment prospects.
WHAT IS POVERTY?
According to Investopedia, Poverty is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials to enjoy a minimum standard of life and well-being that's considered acceptable in society.
Poverty is about not having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter. However, poverty is more, much more than just not having enough money.
The World Bank Organization describes poverty in this way:
“Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time.
Poverty has many faces, changing from place to place and across time, and has been described in many ways. Most often, poverty is a situation people want to escape. So poverty is a call to action -- for the poor and the wealthy alike -- a call to change the world so that many more may have enough to eat, adequate shelter, access to education and health, protection from violence, and a voice in what happens in their communities.”
In addition to lack of money, poverty is about not being able to participate in recreational activities; not being able to send children on a day trip with their schoolmates or to a birthday party; not being able to pay for medications for an illness. These are all costs of being poor. Those people who are barely able to pay for food and shelter simply can’t consider these other expenses. When people are excluded within a society, when they are not well educated and when they have a higher incidence of illness, there are negative consequences for society.
Townsend (1962) defines poverty as the lack of material resources of certain duration and to such an extent that participation in normal activities and possession of amenities and living conditions become impossible or very limited. In similar vein, Olamejeye (1994) defined poverty as the degree of difficulty encountered in making ends meet.
Prado and Tobi (1994) observed that poverty is a multi-dimensional phenomenon with few commonly agreed definitions across the characteristics of the poor (particularly the urban poor) such as excessive labour flow, undifferentiated/unskilled persons who cannot readily be integrated into the production system, sub-culture of personalized ethical code in contrast to the norm of kindred or community behavior, scarcity of essential commodities (food, housing, clothing), growth of slums, unemployment and under-unemployment, and crimes or deviant behaviors.
Galbraith (1968), also diagnosed poverty as having limited and insufficient food and clothing; people living in crowded, cold and dirty shelters, and people living painful and comparatively brief lives.
In a research work titled "Nigeria Is Set To Become The Poverty Capital Of The World By 2018", Olanrewaju Eweniyi discovered that at least 50% of of the world - over three billion people - live on less than $2.50 (N900) a day. And closer to home, Nigeria has one of the world's highest economic growth rates, averaging 7.4% (according to the Nigeria economic report released in July 2014 by the World Bank) but over 80 million Nigerians - 42.4% of the population - currently live below the poverty line, according to the UN.
And apparently it can get worse. According to World Poverty Clock, Nigeria’s rising overpopulation will pose a problem now, rather than in 2030 or 2050.
By February 2018, Nigeria will overtake India as the country with the most people in extreme poverty. For context, India has 5 times the population of Nigeria. According to World Bank standards, living in extreme poverty is living on less than $1.90 (N680) per day. People living in extreme poverty are unable to meet even the barest minimal needs for survival.
In 2015, the UN set up the Sustainable Development Goals, and the first of them is to "eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030". However to achieve this globally, 90 people need to leave poverty every minute to eradicate poverty totally by 2030; and to achieve this in Africa, 57 people have to leave every minute; and in Nigeria, 12 people per minute.
As you can imagine, this is not the case. In fact the opposite is the case. On the average, 9 people are entering extreme poverty every minute, and Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo are both responsible for the 9. And individually, Nigeria has about 7 people going into poverty every minute.
For Nigeria, this is due to many reasons, first of all, population. Nigeria’s population is growing faster than its economy. Between 1990 and 2013, Nigeria’s population increased by 81 percent. And by 2050, according to the UN, Nigeria will be third most populous country in the world. Only behind India and China.
And while poverty is billed to wildly increase in 2018, the IMF projects Nigeria's GDP to rise by only 0.8 percent in 2018, after the 2016 recession slowed down the economy. Nigeria’s 2018 record budget (which President Buhari stood for 69 minutes to present, this was news for some reason) is running on a deficit, and will be funded by much borrowing with government debts already on the rise.
On the contrary, in recent times, Nigeria’s recent dwindling oil wealth due to the global oil price reduction, with oil being the mainstay of its economy, meant its oil-dependent GDP was affected too. The country’s economy was hit hard by the recent recession in the country.
URBAN POVERTY
We are living in what is often described as the "urban century". Most of the world's economy and more than half its population are now in urban areas. The world continues to urbanise – and most of the growth in the world's population is in urban areas in low- and middle-income countries.
Historically, poverty belonged to rural areas, but nowadays it is the same in mega cities and it is estimated that a quarter of the world's urban population is currently living in a poverty situation (Perlman, 1998). In last several years, by the population growth explosion and more and more people choose to living from countryside to city, this phenomenon was becoming more and more serious. At same time, it made social problems stand out. Deepening of urban poverty has becoming an unsafe factor in social and economic. The new problems mix with old problems, leading to a variety of complex social effects.
Since the 20th century 50years, along with the accelerated process of urbanization and urban population density, the population of the world from 30% to about 50% now, is approaching to 60% by 2030. Because of this, the urban poor and slums have become increasingly prominent. Today's megacities are reaching the limits of their carrying capacity to sustain human life, as urbanites increasingly face lack of access to safe water and sanitation, inadequate waste management, poor drainage, air pollution, excessive noise levels, and ineffective and inadequate service provision(Perlman, J., Hopkins, E. & Perez, R. 2008).
Around a billion urban dwellers live in informal settlements, most of which are affected by:
1. Poor quality, overcrowded housing
2. Risk of forceful eviction
3. Lack of safe, readily available, water supplies
4. Poor provision for sanitation, drainage and solid waste collection
5. Lack of access to healthcare, emergency services and policing
6. Difficulty accessing government schools, and
7. Locations at high risk of disasters and with risk levels increasing because of climate change.
Most definitions and measurements of poverty take none of the above into consideration, as they are based only on income-levels. And income-based poverty lines are usually set too low in relation to the costs of food and non-food needs for urban populations.
The menace of urban poverty is most devastating in Africa, especially Nigeria. Human conditions have greatly deteriorated, particularly during the last decade. With real disposable income declining steeply, malnutrition rates have risen sharply and food production has hardly kept pace with population growth and the quantity and quality of health and education services deteriorating.
Onibokun et al. (1995) perceives urban poverty as living in sub-standard and sub-human environments plagued by slums, squalor and grossly inadequate social amenities like health facilities, schools, recreational opportunities etc.
BACKGROUND OF STUDY
HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF AGEGE
According to an online search engine, Wikipedia, when the kolanut plantations in the Agege area started to flourish it attracted huge settlements. Agege experienced rapid development and became a powerful center of the kolanut trade. These settlements attracted different people of different backgrounds and interests such as laborers, and most of these were Hausa. Whenever the Yorubas needed labourers for jobs such as cutting of trees, they would engage the services of the Hausa people. Because of this work the immediate area where the Hausas lived was named ‘Ilu Awon Ageigi’ which translates as ‘Town (Ilu) of the tree cutters’. The name Agege was thus formed out of the word "Ageigi".
The boundary of Agege from the Northern part of Lagos stretches from Dopemu road through Anu-oluwapo street to olukosi down Fagbola through Osobu street to Orile road down to Old Agege Motor Road opposite Nitel. From the Southern part of Lagos it stretches from Ashade retail market to Akilo street.
From the Eastern part of Lagos, it stretches from Oba ogunji road up to the by-pass to Agege Motor road by Nitel office. From the Western part of Lagos,the boundary of Agege stretches from Abeokuta express road from boundary with Ikeja Local government to Dopemu junction.
Agege is one the ancients cities of Lagos which covers Iju, Ishaga, Alagbado and some part of Ikeja before It was reduced to what it is now. Today, all the above mentioned places has been carved out of Agege to form another local governments at the time Lagos increases in population and economy. Statistically, Agege has a large settlement of the Hausas around Moricas/Alfa Nla, Kwakwa Uku and Mosalasi Alhaja.
Other tribes like the Igbos, Tapas, Nigers and more tribes are also among the groups of people that makes up Agege. The old and the new Abeokuta motor road and the railway line that passes through Agege to the northern part of the country are some of the factors that thumbs up Agege economy.
The Aworis are believed to be the first habitats of Agege and their mainstay is the ancient area like Orile Agege, Isale Oja and Atobaje. Agege has two paramont kings which are oba of Orile Agege who exercise his domineering across Orile Agege and oba of Agege who is incharge of Agege respectively.
AGEGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Information obtained from the official website of Agege Local Government (www.agegelocalgov.com) states that Agege district council was first created in 1954 and it remained functional, having passed through some obvious moments till 1967 when the military first took over power and Agege was merged with Ikeja District council for a period of thirteen years.
In 1980, Agege was excised from Ikeja Local Government and remained so until 1883 when the military took power again and abolished the existing proliferated system of local government to maintain the 1976 status quo.
Significantly, between August 1991 and December 1996, more local government were created to bring the number in Lagos state to twenty as a result of which Alimosho and Ifako Ijaiye Local Governments were created out of Agege.
Today, another local government have been carved out of the old Agege Local Government, the Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area. With this development, there were boundary adjustments.
Agege Local Government now shares boundary with Ojodu Local Government on the east at Akilo Road with Ikeja Local Government at Akanni Doherty Guiness road and the Lagos-Abeokuta express road, with Ifako Ijaiye Local Government on the north by Oba Ogunji road and with Orile Agege on the south and west and Dopemu/Papa Ashafa, Ipaja Road and Agbotikuyo.
The inhabitants of Agege Local Government are multi-ethnic but basically, the "Aworis" are the indigenous inhabitants.
Some major communities making up the Agege Local Government are Ogba, Asade, Dopemu, Atobaje, Gbogunleri, Isale Oja, Ajegunle, Sango, Keke, Papa uku/Olusanya, Oniwaya, Moricas, Iloro, Mangoro, Darocha, Onipetesi, Alfa Nla and Agbotikuyo.
In Agege / Orile Agege, the Chieftaincy Community has three recognized Obas and Six traditional members.
History has it that Oba Ogunji Otapo was the first Baale of Agege while the first Olu of Agege was Oba Jinadu Idowu Ogunji. The second Olu of Agege, Oba Jinadu ruled between 1982 – 1987 and Prince Muraina Adebari who received his staff of office in 1991 ruled till May, 2000.
Oba Lateef Adeyemi Atanda Adams ruled from 2001-2010. Ascending the throne in 2012 was Oba Oyedeji Kamila Akanni Isiba, Olu of Agege till date.
As presently constituted, the Chieftaincy Committee is presided over by the Olu of Agege. The Alaige of Orile Agege is the Vice Chairman while the Olagba of Ogba is also a member. Members of the Committee consist of other Baales and High Chiefs.
VISION
The vision statement of Agege LG reads thus:
"We are committed to being a leading Local Government providing quality services and infrastructure through responsible governance and constant partnership with all stakeholders".
MISSION
The mission statement reads thus:
"To provide quality Local Government services that contribute to the community through services delivered in a highly responsible way that recognizes the value of partnership and ensuring the peaceful co-existence of all".
Electoral Wards
The Local Government consist of seven (7) electoral wards namely
Ward A - Gbogunleri Isale Oja
Ward B - Dopemu
Ward C - Olusanya / Papa Uku
Ward D - Moricas / Awori
Ward E - Atobaje
Ward F - Keke, Sango, Ogba
Ward G - Darocha and Ajegunle
With a population of over 459,000, Agege is a suburb and local government area in the Ikeja Division of Lagos State, Nigeria. Meanwhile, the current chairman of Agege Local Government is Ganiyu Egunjobi.
THE STUDY AREA (ISALE-OJA COMMUNITY, AGEGE)
Isale-oja is one of the hassle spots of Agege. It is a densely populated community in Agege.
The houses are mostly crowded with many residents sharing vital facilities like toilet and kitchen in a typical “face me I face you” settlement. Most of the residents are in the low income bracket with about 10 to 15 persons sometimes living in a single room.
With an estimated population of about one million people, Isale-Oja can be regarded as one of the slums in Lagos state. The community lacks basic infrastructures developed communities have. The community lacks motorable roads, drainage system, stable electricity supply, good hospitals, etc.
Residents of the area are in poor living conditions, some even stay in homes built with planks. The environment is unhygienic as wastes litter all over the place, thus, exposing them to health hazards.
In an interview granted to The Nation Newspapers two years ago, the present chairman of Agege local government, Honorable Kola Egunjobi disclosed that he grew up at Isale-oja.
" I grew up at Isale-Oja, an environment that is filled with tension and violence in Agege area and where people across West African countries, Ghanaians, Nigeriens, Togolese etc reside. But despite the violence and diversity, there has been love and harmony", Egunjobi had said.
Hopefully, Egunjobi will bring development to the community very soon.
During his campaign for the chairmanship seat, Egunjobi had said: “I know my people, I know the problem of the people and I know how to handle it, I am a grassroots person and I know with the support of the leaders the right things will be done. Before any decision is taken, any project is executed, I will call everybody, bring it on board and discuss it with them, then take it back to my executive for execution, so that the pulse of the people will be properly felt and they are all involved".
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The reduction of poverty is the most difficult challenge facing any country in the developing world where on the average majority of the population is considered poor.Evidences in Nigeria show that the number of those in poverty has continued to increase.
The problems and challenges posed by the rapid urban growth in Nigeria are immense. More easily observable and perhaps very frightening are the general human and environmental poverty, the declining quality of life and the underutilized as well as the untapped wealth of human resources.
Housing and associated facilities (such as water, electricity, waste disposal) are grossly inadequate. Millions live in substandard environments called slums, plagued by squalor and grossly inadequate social amenities, such as, a shortage of schools, poor health facilities and lack of opportunities for recreation among others. Juvenile delinquency and crime have become endemic in urban areas as a result of the gradual decline of traditional social values and the breakdown of family cohesiveness and community spirit.
Isale-oja is a community faced with many challenges which includes poor drainage system, densely populated environment, poor living condition, health hazards, lack of motorable roads and other developmental issues.
Because Development communication is aimed at effecting changes, Isale-oja community needs to be projected in order to map out strategies to aid development in the community.
OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
The primary aim of every research is to inform or educate. However, this paper is also aimed at achieving the following objectives:
1. To know the level of poverty among residents of Isale-oja community.
2. To discover developmental issues or challenges in the community.
3. To map out Development Communication (DEVCOM) strategies to tackle the issues.
DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION (DEVCOM): AN OVERVIEW
Development communication, as a term, came into greater use in the 1970s, following the coinage by Quebral (1972, 1973) who defined it as the art and science of human communication used in planning for and bringing about strategic transformations of a society to alleviate poverty and achieve better and more equitable socio-economic growth that involves the larger unfolding of the potentials of individual peoples.
Development communication has been defined in several ways by economic
development experts, sociologists and communication experts. The terminology development communication originated in Asia. Definitions differ from region to region depending on the definers view of development.
Nora Quebral (1975) defined development communication as the art and science of human communication applied to the speedy transformation of a country from poverty to a dynamic state of economic growth and makes possible greater economic and social equality and the larger fulfilment of human potential.
Development Communication is communication with a social conscience. It takes
humans into account. Development communication is primarily associated with rural problems, but is also concerned with urban problems. It has two primary roles: a transforming role, as it seeks social change in the direction of higher quality of values of society. In playing its roles, development communication seeks to create an atmosphere for change, as well as providing innovations through which society may change.
Philosophy and goal of Development Communication
Three main ideas which define the philosophy of development communication and make it different from general communication are:
1. Development communication is purposive communication, it is value-laden; and it is pragmatic(dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practica).
2. Development communication is goal-oriented. The ultimate goal of development communication is a higher quality of life for the people of a society by social and political change.
3. The goal of development communication not consider only in economic terms, but also in terms of social, political, cultural, and moral values that make a person's life whole, and that enable a person to attain his or her full potential.
Development communication has to deal with two types of audience:
i) bureaucracy, media practitioners and professionals, and
ii) the people i.e. the audience who can be informed or uninformed; educated or semi-literate or literate.
GOALS OF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION
One of the goals of DEVCOM is to disseminate development-oriented information to accelerate development in a social system. This is why DEVCOM is particularly relevant in developing countries, most of which are faced with many developmental problems.
To achieve development in these countries, Quebral (1975) stated that DEVCOM aims to provide four kinds of information.
1. Information to increase income, food and improve health.
2. Information to fight illiteracy
3. Information to diminish rural isolation, promote interaction among villagers and to link them with decision centres
4. Information to help rural people form and maintain their own organisation and to help them achieve economic and political empowerment.
Wilbur Schramm (1964) was the first to recognize that communication could play an important role in the national development of the third world counties. He believed that mass media could better the lives of people by supplementing the information resources and exposing people for learning opportunities. He conceptualized a relationship between development communication and economic growth,which has been the main guiding paradigm for development programmes. He suggested that as economic activity spreads, knowledge must be gathered more broadly.
There are varied approaches to handle development communication which are not
exclusive to each other. The main approaches are:
1. Diffusion/extension approach
2. Mass Media approach
3. Development support communication approach
4. Institutional approach
5. Integrated approach
6. Localized approach to Dev Com
7. Planned strategy to Dev Com
Diffusion/ extension Approach to Development Communication:
The main focus of this approach is the adoption of technological and social innovations through diffusion of new ideas, services and products. Diffusion of both material and social innovations is necessary for development. Material innovations refer to economic and technological innovations and social innovations pertain to social needs and structure.
The process of diffusion starts with the need of individual and community decisions for acceptance and rejection of innovations depend primarily on the needs of the adopters. The resultant consequences of diffusion can be direct/indirect, latent/manifest, and functional/dysfunctional. The early models of diffusion focussed only on material growth. But it was soon realized that social growth along with material growth was necessary for diffusion of products, ideas and services. Therefore, diffusion decisions have to handle the economic, technological and social constraints .
Mass Media Approach Development Communication:
A well-defined developed mass media and interpersonal communication infrastructure is necessary for development communication. It is necessary that these infrastructures should be accessible to the people, both physically and socially. The content of the messages should be balanced. The content should be both rural and urban oriented and addressed to masses in both sectors. The messages should be need-based and they should appeal to the audience.
The integrated approach to development communication emphasizes the need to avoid duplication and waste in development efforts. The balance in the spread of
information facilities must be maintained both for rural and urban, backward and
prosperous areas.
Institutional approach focuses on education for development.
The emphasis is on literacy-universal education, adult education, formal and non-formal education. There is emphasis on need-based training and development – oriented programmes conducive to development.
Development support communication:
In the development context, communication strives not only to inform and educate but also to motivate people and secure public participation in the growth and change process. A widespread understanding of development plans is an essential stage in the public cooperation for national development.
Development communication and development support communication are thus two different terms.
Development Communication communicates development messages to people for betterment of their economic and social conditions, where Development Support Communication addresses development planning and the plan of operation for implementation. But often these two terms are substituted for each other.
Planned Strategy for Development Communication:
The success of development communication depends on team approach, i.e. the coordination between the communication agencies (extension workers, radio, TV, Press, etc.) and development agencies.
Community-based communication system approaches may be evolved to ensure greater participation of local people in planning and production of communication material which is community-based.
MODELS AND THEORIES OF DEVELOPMENT
INTRODUCTION
THE improvement of the economies of the underdeveloped nations has been an international concern for several decades. These development issues were mostly economic, social, political and cultural growth and poverty eradication, with the focus being how to improve the quality of life of the masses through development and communication programmes.
In view of the fact that development means different things to different scholars and practitioners, international development theorists and practitioners have conceptualised development from different perspectives such as social change, modernisation, progress and alternatives in lifestyles.
As Narula(2004) explained; the developers became somewhat of an intellectual community sharing information, attending conferences and closely observing each other’s success and failure and consequently, developing “paradigmatic” ways of thinking. (These paradigms have expectedly changed over time.) Thus, there have been various perspectives or ways of thinking and practising development.
*Paradigms are “clusters of assumptions, research protocol and theories which provide a common orientation for people working in the same area.”
The following are the different approaches and paradigms of development;
1. The Linear Model of Development
2. Economic Approach to Development
3. The Structural Change Model of Development
4. The Dependency Theory
5. Modernisation Theory
6. Westernisation Theory
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
INTRODUCTION
The use of interviews, as well as observation and survey of the community were employed in this term paper.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
It was difficult trying to locate my way around isale-oja community. I kept on moving from one corner to another. Attempts made to ask for directions only took me back to where I was coming from until I finally met a “good Samaritan” who decided to take me to the Baale’s palace.
On our way to the place, I decided to engage her in some discussions about the community. Asked whether she was comfortable about her current lining condition in the area, she interjected immediately in Yoruba language “Nibo” (Where?)
She didn’t want to disclose her name because she thought she would appear on television or be heard on radio. She also didn’t want to be tape recorded. She however disclosed that she had no choice but to live in the area because she stays in her father-in-law’s house with her husband and children. She complained bitterly about the poor living condition of residents of the community and the lack of drainage system.
According to her, the area is usually flooded whenever it rains due to lack of drainage systems. She disclosed that flooding in the area affects the health of both young and old and makes them prone to lots of diseases.
Asked about the education system in the community, she disclosed that her children were attending a private school in the area. She stated that the two public schools in the area but lacked enough teaching facilities and have crowded classrooms. She also said security is not so tight in the area as most of the houses have neither gates nor fences.
While we continued our journey to the Baale’s palace, I noticed lots of unhygienic canals with dirt all over the place. I also noticed some houses built with iron roofings and planks and I said to myself, “this area truly needs government intervention”.
I took pictures of some parts of the community in order to aid visual understanding of the developmental issues.
We eventually got to the Baale's palace. I introduced myself and told him the objectives of this paper and he granted me a short interview.
Read excerpts of the interview with the Baale of Gbogunleri Isale-oja, Agege, Alhaji Rasheed Rufai Kuku.
PLEASE INTODUCE YOURSELF SIR
I’m Alhaji Rasheed Rufai Kuku, baale of Gbogunleri Isale-Oja, Agege. I was installed on March 6, 2015.
Isale oja is an old community. We can say isale oja is the centre of where we call Agege. Even other communities like orile-agege, sango-agege, they were under isale oja before. After the late Ogunji left, the next king was Alhaji Muraino Adebari.
OTHER COMMUNITIES WERE UNDER ISALE-OJA, WHY ARE THEY A BIT DEVELOPED THAN THIS COMMUNITY?
We cannot say they’re developed than isale-oja. Most of the politicians came from Orile. That is why we can say orile side is more developed than isale-oja now because they have more roads and we, I can say this is the only good roads that we have achieved from the government (market street) and Alagbigba street.
THE CHAIRMAN OF THIS LOCAL GOVERNMENET, HONOURABLE KOLA EGUNJOBI GREW UP IN THIS AREA. HAS HE BEEN HERE TO SURVEY THE AREA SINCE HE BECAME THE CHAIRMAN?
He’s living her, in this market street, this new road. When this government came in, they told us that they will be giving two roads to each community, you know after three or four months, they are doing about one hundred and something roads in Agege. So in Agege here, they took two. In other communities also, they took two (market street and Alagbigba).
A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY TOLD ME THE ROADS ARE BAD AND THERE IS NO DRAINAGE SYSTEM. ACCORDING TO HER, THIS LEADS TO FLOODING ANYTIME IT RAINS AND EXPOSES THEM TO VARIOUS HEALTH HAZARDS. WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THAT?
They hve been trying to do that. The first road they did here helped a lot of people, that is market street. Forrmerly, for someone to get into the market street is very hard but now, it is easier for everybody. Coming to the market is easier, for people who are bringing goods also to the market was formerly very hard. They employ the services of helpers, “alabaru” to come into their stall before they can sell any good.
LIKE YOU SAID, MARKET STREET AND ALAGBIGBA ARE THE ONLY GOOD ROADS YOU HAVE HERE. WHILE I WAS COMING, I ALMOST LOST MY WAY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO STRAIGHT ROAD, JUST CORNERS HERE AND THERE. WHAT HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT THIS AND HOW DO YOU WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP YOU?
We have a lot of things to do in this area. If the government can create more roads for us, it will be better. Many of this area, we don’t have roads. Like this place now, there is no avenue for a vehicle to get to this point, even to the front of my palace. I repaired all that place with my money. When I wanted to be installed as the baale, I spent over 2 million before a vehicle can pass.
YOU ARE ASKING THE GOVERNMENT TO CREATE ROADS HERE, MOST OF THE HOUSES IN THIS AREA ARE TOO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. DON’T YOU THINK A LOT OF HOUES HERE WILL BE AFFCETED?
When the government wants to create a road, it must affect many houses. Even the one they are doing at Pen-cinema now affected many houses.
APART FROM ROADS, WHAT ARE OTHER ISSUES YOU WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO INTERVENE IN?
Apart from roads, security is now okay in Isale-oja. You can’t come into this area anytime after twelve you will be arrested. Security is okay for now.
Having interviewed the Baale, I decided to make more findings as the Baale didn't give the the full information I needed. I asked for the house of any other community leader and I was directed to the house of the Balogun of Gbogunleri Isale-oja, Agege, chief Olusegun Balogun.
Chief Olusegun Balogun is also the chairman of kamadeko CDA in Isale-Oja, Agege.
Read excerpts from the interview with Chief Olusegun Balogun below:
PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF SIR
I’m chief Olusegun Balogun, the Balogun of Gbogunleri Isale-oja and at the same time, chairman of kamadeko CDA. We have four CDAs in this Gbogunleri isale-oja. We have kamadeko CDA, we have ifedawapo CDA, we have Gbogunleri CDA and isale-oja CDA. These are the four CDAs in Gbogunleri isale-oja.
WHAT HAVE THESE CDAs YOU MENTIONED DONE SO FAR TO IMPROVE THIS COMMUNITY?
We are trying our best but there’s just a little we can do. We are under the local government. There’s a body, we call it the joint CDAs where we usually have a meeting once in a month at the local government. We’ve been trying our best but most times, when we make our requests known to the chairman, they don’t even look at it or attach importance to it.
When we talk about security, there is improvement because we have a group we call the DPS, that is, voluntary Policing Sector. We are working together with the police and they do go out in the night on patrol.
FROM THE RESEARCH I MADE ABOUT THIS AREA, I DISCOVERED THIS COMMUNITY IS A HAVEN FOR CRIMINALS, TOUTS AND VARIOUS CULT GROUPS. HOW TRUE IS THIS?
That was before. I, as Balogun Gbogunleri of Isale-oja , we made a move in support of the police and headed by the Baale of Gbogunleri Isale-oja. We were able to curb some. There is improvement now. Even whenever we have the security meeting, we do go to Ikeja, the commissioner of Police do invite, we let them know whatever we have and there is improvement for now.
IS THERE A PLATFORM FOR RESIDENTS OF THIS COMMUUNITY TO INTERACT WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS TO DISCUSS SOME DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES AND CHALLENGES THEY FACE AND FOR THE STAKEHOLDERS TO KNOW WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT?
Yes, we do. Monthly we do have community accountability forum. We normally have it here. At times, we make use of the open space where we invite all the people in the community to say out their minds. From there, we map out our strategies.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THIS AREA?
The schools we have here, African District school, St. Peters, and some others like that. We are proud to say that we have products of all these schools in better positions in this present regime.
IN CONCLUSION, HOW DO YOU WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO INTERVENE IN THIS COMMUNITY?
Firstly, I want the teachers in these schools to be treated very well, putting up whatever they need there for the children. The private schools are taking over because the children going to the public schools, the teachers don’t have time for all of them because they are much and the classes are small.
I also interview two more members of the community who pleaded anonymity.
According to one of them, Mrs Modupe (Not real name) who spoke to me in Yoruba language, people living in the area are not comfortable and are living there because there's no money to rent better apartments. She complained about the lack of accessible roads.
"Anytime someone wants to visit me with a car, I'll just ask the person to park at Market street or Alagbigba, then I'll go and meet the person and we'll trek to my house", she said.
She also disclosed that she is a widowed petty trader who makes little to fend for her six children . The children, according to her, attend one of the public schools in the area.
My next interviewee, also a woman, pleaded anonymity as well. She also spoke to me in Yoruba language, stating that she would have loved to move out of the area if she had the money.
According to her, the little money her husband earns from his business is barely enough to feed her family of six three square meals a day.
" This area is mainly dominated by Hausas. I'm a Yoruba woman but I don't like this area. There are no gutters nor drainage systems. Even some houses do not have toilets and no proper avenue for waste disposal. We don't have roads and the electricity supply is not stable. We are appealing to the government to come to our aid.
"Lagos speaker, Obasa, grew up in Agege. Let him come to our aid. We need development in this community", she said.
TACKLING URBAN POVERTY: STRATEGIES FOR THE GOVERNMENT
Poverty, proliferation of informal settlements, overcrowding, and inadequate physical and social infrastructure are the most enduring spatial and socio-economic manifestations and consequences of urbanisation in Lagos (Morakinyo et al., 2012, Ilesanmi, 2010).
To address these challenges, in recent time, the state government embarked on the implementation of a series of what it calls ‘transformation urban development policies and projects.’ The vision of this transformation agenda is to make Lagos State ‘an African model megacity’ and a global economic and financial hub that is safe, secure, functional and productive, while the policy thrust is to achieving poverty alleviation and sustainable development through infrastructure renewal and urban development policies and projects (INOVATELAGOS, 2013).
However, with the majority of its population living in informal settlements and making their daily livelihoods through informality, in practice, the ongoing quest for urban modernity seems inconsistent with the livelihood realities of the majority.
The outcomes of urban development projects are socially and spatially inequitable. This study, therefore, suggests that one important element in reducing poverty is a policy framework that guarantees inclusive urban development and takes into consideration livelihood realities of the poor majority.
Poverty has been driven not only by unequal economic growth. Other drivers of rising poverty and hunger are inequality in assets and incomes, unequal access to basic infrastructure and markets. Escaping poverty is, therefore, about investing in people to ensure that the poor connect to networks of capital, assets, land, power, and transportation modes that would enable them participate and share in the fruits and gains of economic growth and prosperity. Re-orientation of Nigeria’s education and health systems as well as the cultural values, would help majority of people especially those rural areas enhance their human capital.
At the root of the scourge of poverty, hunger, and inequality is governance. To promote social inclusion and safety nets, government at all levels would need not only to increase social welfare programmes but also to improve the quality and efficiency of social services delivery. This objective cannot be effectively attained without addressing the quality of participatory democracy, leadership, and institutional governance.
Having highlighted the above strategies, there is a whole lot of work to be done by the government closest to the people (The local government). Hence, there are certain strategies to be employed by local governments (Agege Local government in particular because it is the focus of the study). These initiatives, some of which were culled from the 'Global Urban Development Magazine' would contribute significantly to improving the lives of people in Isale-oja community and Agege local government as a whole.
They include:
1. Instituting participatory urban processes that give a voice in decision-making to poor and marginalized populations.
2. Partnering with communities, community-based organizations (CBOs), and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including advocacy groups, on community-based initiatives.
3. Providing access to land (including regularization), infrastructure, and urban services.
4. Initiating integrated programs for the improvement of the urban environment.
5. Supporting the development of small businesses and micro-enterprises.
6. Fostering citizenship and social inclusion.
7. Collaborating with foundations and philanthropic organizations on social projects.
8. Alleviating the hardships endured by poor and marginalized populations.
9. Initiating special programs to reach vulnerable groups.
In addition, adequate access roads, drainage, and transport are essential to integrate peripheral and marginalized settlements in the urban fabric and economy. In the face of growing disparities and economic downturns, promoting local development has to include the necessity of opening up employment and income generation opportunities for impoverished populations. Interlinked multisectoral programs are needed to address these challenges. Local authorities are the level of government most directly involved, even where national and international funding is available to support sectoral programs.
Also, there should be direct involvement of local authorities in health care, education, vocational training, and other social services in communities under the local government.
COMMUNICATION TOOLS (MEDIA)
For communication to reach a common person of a less developed region, the media must be simple and free from language barriers.
The government stakeholders, in order to maximise their messaging strategy, need to understand which communication channels are most effective at reaching their stakeholders and audiences.
The communication channel is a medium through which a message is transmitted to its intended audience, such as print media, broadcast or electronic media.
Characteristics of communication channels worthy of note, according to Rogers (1986:21), are: message flow, source knowledge of the audience, segmentation, degree of interactivity, feedback, asynchronocity, socioemotional vs. task-related content, nonverbal, control of the communication flow, and privacy afforded. He charted these characteristics across face-to-face interpersonal communication, interactive (machine-assisted interpersonal) communication, and mass media.
I. Mass media
Mass communication includes electronic and print media. Electronic media includes radio, television, teletext, videotext, and satellite telecommunications. Print media encompasses books, newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and comics. Historically, as each new media entered the scene, owners of existing forms of mass communication reassessed the futures of their respective media. The advantages and disadvantages of each form of mass communication provides guidance for selecting the best medium to fit the intended audience and the dissemination purpose.
A. Effectiveness areas of electronic media
Radio
Radios with their great flexibility and adaptability wake us up, inform us, and entertain us. Hiebert and others (1988:173) say that radio has become more individualized and personalized. Talk show hosts communicate directly to each listener and caller. No longer is radio the medium that unites family members at night. Each family member now listens to differing stations at differing locations and at differing times of the day.
Television
To reach the most numbers of people with general information, television is the logical, though most expensive, choice. It appeals to more than one of the five senses and has become the dominant leisure activity. Television "is society's mass entertainer, mass informer, mass persuader, and mass educator" (Ibid, 215).
B. Effectiveness areas of print media
Newspapers
Although newspapers are no longer the fastest medium for carrying the bulletins and headlines of the day, they still provide the best display and indepth coverage of events and news (Ibid, 70-72). Hiebert and others (1988) say there has been an increase in readers at the same time there has been a decrease in the number of newspapers. Roberts & Maccoby (1985), on the other hand, cite studies that indicate a decrease in readership especially among younger adults who do not have the newspaper-reading habit and are less likely to develop it as they grow older. They even offer references and explanations for why there is a decrease. Factors they cite include decline in home ownership, increase in single-person households, increase of women in the labor force, fractionation of the city, and changes in amounts of available time. They also highlight Stamm and Fortini-Campbell's 1977 study that shows strong, positive correlations between people's sense of belonging to a community and newspaper relationship.
Small weekly newspapers and specialized weekly newspapers serve the local community or distinct ethnic, cultural, or professional groups (Ibid, 57-8). Some papers are in Yoruba and Hausa languages.
Magazines and Journals
Unlike newspapers with daily deadlines, magazines have time to look more closely at issues for analysis and interpretation. They can follow the flow of events over time through a series on a given topic in subsequent editions of the magazine. "Surveys of magazine readers' actions suggest that readers tend to take more action as a result of their reading than is taken by consumers of other media" (Hiebert et al, 1988:92).
CONCLUSION
Since urban poverty is all encompassing, tackling it should be a joint effort by all stakeholders in national development through collaborative frameworks. These include priority policy formulation, public financing, social responsibility, implementation and monitoring process.
In ensuring poverty alleviation in urban communities in Lagos state, especially in Isale-oja community which is the study area, all suggested strategies should be employed and implemented.
REFERENCES
1. Lecture notes : Mrs Maureen Popoola, NIJ.
2. Abdalah TB, Engelhard P (1993). The Urgency of Fighting Poverty for Democracy and Environment. United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Office, Occassonal Paper.
3. Aluko S (1975). “poverty and Its Remedies”, paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Nigerian Economic Society.
4. Bamberger M (2002). "Key Issues in the Design and Managment of Targeted Poverty Allevition Programs." The Design and Managment of Poverty Reduction. Projects in AnglophoneAfrica. M. Bamberger A, Matovu G., eds proceedings of an EDI/Uganda Management Institute Seminar held in Kampala.Washigngton, D.C.: The World Bank.
5. Reducing urban poverty in the global South, David Satterthwaite and Diana Mitlin (2013), Routledge
6. Urban poverty in the global South: scale and nature, Diana Mitlin and David Satterthwaite (2012), Routledge
