Nigerians, it’s not enough to rant! Proffer solutions as well!

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I’m Nigerian and I love Nigeria with everything in me. If I had my way, I’d be the President and I’m pretty sure most Nigerians feel that urge to take control of the country as well, especially during these bad times! We all have that passion within us and that passion causes us to get very angry when we see things not going well. Hence, the rants and protests.

I’m all for rants and protests. I mean, how else do we let the people in authority know exactly how we feel? My only concern is that we just rant without necessarily stating any solutions or suggestions. Could it be that we don't even know how to solve the problems? Or we say ‘they are the ones up there, they should know’. If you were appointed President right now, what would you do differently? You get my point? It’s not just enough to rant, state a solution!

We tend to compare Nigeria to other developed countries, but the fact is that there isn’t a perfect system. None! You really cannot have it all. So, instead of just comparing our country to the developed world, how about we start to do somethings the way they do. Call it copy copy, I call it baby steps, little drops of water becoming an ocean, foundation…you naaame it!

Why this post? Nigeria lost a great soul over the weekend and a lot of people were moved by the loss. Reports say he died from taking expired malaria drugs, and a lot of people seemed to blame the broken system for that. Fair enough, simply because Nigeria isn’t really the best at implementing regulations and laws. I did some research on the effects of expired drugs and I discovered that some drugs just have an expiry date just because they have to. A lot of them remain potent and safe for years even after expiry. But for safety, please AVOID TAKING EXPIRED DRUGS! Notice I said ‘A lot’? Yeah, not all, as some lose potency and become toxic. So, instead of trying to figure out which ones do and which don’t, just get rid of all of them if expired. 

That being said, my guess is that the drug was fake but I don’t have anything to back that. May God rest his beautiful soul and grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss. Because of this, I thought a few personal safety tips about drugs might be useful:
·   Buy drugs from a trusted, licensed pharmacy! When I was in Nigeria, if it wasn’t a reputable pharmacy or the pharmacy in the hospital, I wasn’t interested. I know, ‘licensed’? In Nigeria? Yes, it can happen if you, as a citizen, decide that that should be the norm!
·        In your home, keep all drugs in one place. Maybe near the first aid kit (yes, please get one!) in a labeled cabinet. It’s totally fine to label things at home
·         Always check for the expiry date just to be safe. If expired, throw it out!
·         Please, try not to self-medicate (check here for that article)

To the Nigerian government, it’s at times like this that I miss Dr. Dora Nkem Akunyili, God rest her soul. I know we suffer from corruption but we can really start from somewhere. And to the states, don’t wait for the federal government to do everything! You have all you need! Make your own rules! So, instead of just ranting about our broken system, I will suggest a few things (because the list is endless):
  • Implement licensing of such businesses that have a direct effect on life. And make it mandatory that the license be put up for customers to see. That way, anyone without a license is operating illegally and should be penalized
  •  Ensure compliance through inspections (this would help point out fabricated licenses)
  •  Publish businesses that are not in compliance in the news for all to know! With a monetary fine of course!

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So, Nigerians, don’t give up, don’t lose hope. We are stronger together and we certainly are the solution to our problems. I mean, the President would have to be Nigerian, right? So, either way, the onus is on us!

To conclude, I’ll quote Mother Teresa who said ‘there are many people who can do big things but there are very few people who will do the small things’. Do your part, provide a solution if you have one. One day, you’ll be heard. We're getting there gradually.

Stay safe.

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