By Morenike Taire
African Speakers of Parliaments and Presidents of Senate have unanimously adopted a landmark resolution on a Declaration of Commitment to prioritize parliamentary support for increased policy and budget action on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in African countries.

The milestone Declaration of Commitment was adopted at the 3rd Pan African Speakers Conference 17th – 18th October, in Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

In the communiqué issued at the end of the conference, the speakers committed to “prioritize policy and budget support for implementation of African Union Summit Decisions, in particular the … Kampala July 2010 Summit Declaration on the Summit theme of “Actions on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Development in Africa”.

The Commitment is the first of its kind by African Speakers of Parliament, and marks a significant milestone in accelerating progress in Africa towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 on Child and Maternal Health, respectively.

It also promises high-level parliamentary support to hasten implementation of the Africa Parliamentary Policy and Budget Action Plan on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, agreed by Chairs of Finance and Budget committees of national parliaments in October 2010.

Presiding over the adoption of the resolution, the Pan African Parliament President Hon. Dr. Moussa Idriss Ndélé emphasised that “Parliamentary support is crucial for successful implementation of African Union Summit Decisions and African development priorities”.

Nigeria as a nation  endorsed the Secretary General’s Strategy on women’s and children’s health, and affirms that the initiative is in full alignment to our existing country-led efforts through the National Health Plan and strategies targeted for implementation for the period 2010 – 2015, with a focus on the MDGs in the first instance and the national Vision 20 – 2020.

In this regard, Nigeria is committed to fully funding its health program at $31.63 per capita through increasing budgetary allocation to as much as 15% from an average of 5% by the Federal, States and Local Government Areas by 2015.

This will include financing from the proposed 2% of the Consolidated Federal Revenue Capital to be provided in the National Health Bill targeted at pro-poor women’s and children’s health services. Nigeria will work towards the integration of services for maternal, newborn and child Health, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as well as strengthening Health Management Information Systems.

To reinforce the 2488 Midwives recently deployed to local health facilities nationwide, Nigeria will introduce a policy to increase the number of core services providers including Community Health Extension Workers and midwives, with a focus on deploying more skilled health staff in rural areas

In July 2010, the African Union heads of states and governments had made far-reaching commitments towards maternal and infant health at a high-level summit held in Kampala, Uganda.

Xpressions: Boys as Beauty Queens

For some reason, the Mr. Nigeria pageant, organized by the very same body that produced Africa’s first Miss World, to perpetual acclaim, has not been given as much attention as its female counterpart.  For one thing, the pageant has not enjoyed the same degree of funding and as a consequence, the stakes are lower. For a very much younger one, winners have done impressibly on the international scene.

Deji Bakare Mr Nigeria 2011

Yet these days it is clearer what the criteria are for Mr. Nigeria than for the Most Beautiful girl  pageant whose current crown bearer is nothing short of unappreciated by the public.

Rather than being a tool for reverse sexism (picture lots and lots of lager drunken females of all shapes and sizes ogling the brawns of a bunch of good looking bodybuilders stuttering through questions a primary one pupil should have no trouble with), the mr. Nigeria pageant looks like it’s actually balancing things up, bringing the girls more respect than they previously had. It is almost as if, ‘if boys are doing it, it must be cool.

“Like, seriously?!”

Putting the big foot down: the Okonjo-Iwealla example Prof. Dora Akunyili, she of the NAFDAC fame, taught Nigeria in her era how far things can go by just putting your foot down.

We like to talk about the wide gulf between the laws that we already have and the will to enforce the same, the latter not being there, and this gap exists in leadership as much as in followership. Even with the advent of the Boko Haram phenomenon, things are being handled with kid gloves and no one is really putting their foot down about anything.

It was therefore a rather refreshing change to have the Finance Minister take such a decisive and immediate action about Port Reforms, particularly in the context of massive fuel imports and the various factors that contribute to expensive landing costs.

Massive corruption at the ports can almost be said to be the most appropriate metaphor for massive corruption in the Nigerian government  and facing it resolutely might be a giant step in economic and political structuring.

Career

It is a well known fact that moving ahead in a career is dependent on various factors. Very essential among these is professional development. Studies show women are less likely than men to develop themselves professionally than men in the course of their career, and often exit their careers with the same qualifications with which they entered.

Children, other family (the elderly, infirm)and the glass ceiling have been cited as barriers to the professional development of women, but by far the biggest one is from women themselves: lack of motivation.

Factors responsible for this lack of motivation include family needs and- wait for this- lack of societal pressure to excel at work.

Be your own cheerleader

Spouse and family may carry on as though they are so proud of your achievement but they really don’t care as long as you can find a man and drop a few  babies.

If you need to be pushed, push yourself.

Write one, five and ten year plans

You can see in your mind’s eye where you want to be in the long, medium and short terms. Time to stop dreaming and actually create a plan

Join a Business Club

Surrounding yourself with women in similar circumstances to yourself and with similar ambitions and goals always does the trick. Where available, join a women’s group that engages in talk and training. It can go a long way in keeping you prepped.

Get out of the Comfort Zone

It sounds like the stuff of motivational speakers but really, that comfort zone can be the greatest enemy to your professional development. Seek new challenges. The trick is to see them through.

Set Money Aside

It costs money to look for and actually engage in continual education, and your employer is not always in the position to help you. Seek other sources of funding and if all fails, set aside money for your own professional development. It is a need, not a want.