Everything Revolves Around Self-sufficiency -By Abdullahi Muhammad

Contrary to any popular belief, I do not believe that birth control has anything to do with the poverty that plagues northern Nigeria. The northern part of Nigeria is the country’s most populous region, with about 60 million people. Furthermore, the region boasts the highest number of political leaders wealthiest people on the continent of Africa.

I’m continually asking myself: “Why does northern Nigeria have the largest number of school dropouts?” And why is begging more rampant in this region?” Despite the fact that the region boasts the richest person in Africa and constitutes a majority of Nigerian leaders.

By making some critical and in-depth observations of the problem, I don’t believe the Nigerian government has failed on this subject, because when it comes to growth, the region has outperformed the other regions in terms of infrastructure and humanitarian agencies.

Observing the northern region, I discovered that it is divided into three parts: North Central (which includes seven states: Plateau, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, and Kwara), North East (which includes six states: Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe, Borno, and Taraba), and North West (which includes seven states: Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Kano, and Kaduna).

I conducted a study of the people who live in this region and found out that some states are less impoverished than others. For instance, when we look at the North Central, we rarely find a street beggar in these areas.

But due to the population of the region, its inhabitants are the most impoverished people in the country. I learned from my observation that the North West has the highest number of poor people in the entire country.

I keep asking myself how birth control has not been embraced by the people of this region in spite of the big consequence of poverty. In countries like Japan, where birth control pill was outlawed until 1999, 46-1 percent of couples used male condoms. Japan is not poor because of this practice. Because it has been able to control birth rate.

Finally, I received a response to my question about how absence of self-reliance has become a key factor why poverty has gripped Nigeria’s northern region.

In terms of business or government/private jobs, it’s rare to see a woman who relies solely on herself, because it is a taboo for a female to engage in either a government or private job. In that area, it is preferable for them to rely on their husbands or parents.

That is why, when their husbands die and they are left with children, she will become a street beggar with her children. She will be unable to cater for them because she has never tried relying on herself when she has the opportunity.

If the northern women will rely on themselves, I am sure poverty in that region will be eradicated, because females are the only ones who can care for your children when you are no longer alive. As a result, I don’t see the reason of preventing females or wives from relying on themselves.

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