On September 19, 2022, Ericsson announced that it had successfully launched 5G in Nigeria. The 5G hardware and software provider collaborated with Mobile Telephone Network (MTN) Nigeria to begin the first phase of deploying 5G technology throughout the country.
Phase one of the advancements has already started in certain parts of Lagos, one of the seven cities MTN aims to cover. Following this plan, MTN aims to roll out 5G networks throughout the country by the second half of 2022, to close the global digital divide.
The Continent’s Most Virtually Connected Country
Nigeria contributes to 29% of Africa’s internet usage and holds 82% of the continent’s telecom subscribers. This makes the country Africa’s most important information and communications technology (ICT) market.
According to a report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry contributed up to 14.42% to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Nigeria in 2021. The commission accredits the growth to policy implementation, increased demand and investment.
The government of Nigeria (GON) views the ICT market as a key to the further development of the education, health care, agriculture and manufacturing sectors. The GON launched the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030) in November 2019 to further diversify the economy from dependence on oil and gas. This program adheres to eight pillars including “Developmental Regulation, Digital Literacy & Skills, Solid Infrastructure, Service Infrastructure, Digital Services Development & Promotion, Soft Infrastructure, Digital Society & Emerging Technologies, Indigenous Content Development & Adoption.”
However, more than half of the Nigerian population does not have access to the internet. Those from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds have limited access to the internet, technology and ICT skills. This effectively creates a disparity in children’s education due to affordability, lack of infrastructure, perception of digital tech and already-present socioeconomic inequalities.
About 5G
According to the Ericsson website, “5G is the fifth generation of cellular networks, enabling faster connectivity and data transference.” It can use the same radio frequencies that smartphones, Wi-Fi and satellite communications currently use but with additional functions. The implementation of 5G allows reliable, accessible and secure real-time interactions between devices as well as efficient data processing at a higher capacity.
According to Ericsson, 5G is capable of aiding in economic recovery. Expectations determined that these new integrations in info and comms, wholesale/retail, public services and manufacturing will “contribute $13.2 trillion to the global economy by 2035.” Along with the internet of things (IoT) (how physical devices connect, exchange and store data), predictions stated that 5G digital technologies will reduce up to 15% of global emissions by 2030.
The Basics of Spectrum Trading
Spectrum trading applies the concept of property rights to radio frequencies. This ensures a more accessible market for users, increasing efficiency amongst businesses and companies which then invest back into new technology.
By relying on administrative assignments and increased accessibility, spectrum trading allows license holders to react to the rapidly changing markets. Some rights applied to license-protected spectrums include: how long it can be used, within what geographical area and what it can be used for.
In Nigeria, spectrum trading is under the jurisdiction of the NCC. Rules that the NCC set in 2021 outline requirements for eligible sellers and buyers by setting minimum spectrum-holding times and having “sound regulatory and financial standing with the Commission.”
In December of 2021, telecommunication companies MTN and Mafab Communications paid around $550 million for the licenses to distribute 5G in Nigeria. The companies received a deadline of August 24, 2022, to launch the service.
Complications with licensing consequently postponed efforts to develop 5G in Nigeria. At the start of August 2022, MTN had already prepared around 127 sites for testing. However, Mafab was still waiting for the proper licensing needed to distribute (both spectrum and Universal Access Service Licence (UASL).
Other challenges that have impacted the ICT sector include taxation at federal, state and local governments, several regulatory bodies, right of way (RoW) charges and damage to existing infrastructure due to cable theft.
Improving Connectivity for All
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is implementing a “digital economy policy” for Nigeria to enforce a sustainable digital ecosystem. The policies include improved data privacy and protection, increasing digital literacy for youths, enforcing reliable internet connections and integrating digital solutions for different industries.
The successful establishment of 5G in Nigeria would improve healthcare, food security, manufacturing and IoT. The upgraded network would allow healthcare professionals to provide better diagnostics and treatment with hi-tech machinery (EX: EKG machines), digital record archives and telemedicine. This allows for more affordable and accessible healthcare services for those residing in remote low-density locations.
Applications related to IoT will reduce manufacturing costs and accelerate the development of smart cities/smart grids to enhance productivity and create new revenue streams. Smart agriculture/farming supported by 5G could enhance crop and livestock monitoring systems, allowing precise identification of areas that need water, are prone to disease or require pest management.
Plans are in the works to launch in Abuja, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Kano and Maiduguri to fulfill MTN’s first phase in bringing commercial 5G to Nigeria. The telecommunications company aims to provide full national 5G coverage by 2025.
– Aishah French
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
UniCredit’s Financial Assistance
There is an impending financial crisis in Italy due to rising energy costs in Europe. Energy costs are causing rising prices and inflation rates, and the Italian bank UniCredit announced in early September that it was initiating up to €8 billion ($9.3 billion) in measures aimed at halting the economic downturn. Along with the promised measures, UniCredit’s financial assistance will offer 400,000 homeowners the opportunity to refinance mortgages.
Rising Energy Prices and Inflation in Italy
UniCredit has taken these steps because Italy is fighting soaring prices and climbing inflation rates. The rising prices are due to the energy crisis tearing through Europe as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Italy is one of the more Russian gas-reliant nations in Europe, second only to Germany. By the end of 2022, it is estimated that Italy will be spending €100 billion ($99.5 billion) on its natural gas imports. Because Italy imports at least three-quarters of its power, the country is likely to suffer economically as the European energy crisis worsens.
The limits Russia has implemented on its oil and natural gas exports have forced nations to pay incredibly high prices for the resources. The limited exports are due to the conflict in Ukraine. Sanctions on Russian oil have caused an overwhelming increase in oil prices. The latest issue to add to the rising oil costs is the closure of Nord Stream 1, one of Russia’s primary pipelines throughout Europe. The reasoning has been that there was a potential leak in the pipeline, but there has been no progress in repairing the leak nor have any estimates been given on its reopening. The closure has left Russia downsizing its exports, resulting in gas prices in Europe increasing by 28%. These increased costs are causing many European currencies to lose value and inflation rates to rise.
Italy’s inflation rate in August had increased by 8.4% over the year before, which marked a 37-year high. Higher inflation tends to lead to less output and production, which Italians have witnessed already. A decrease in output results in a decrease in minimum wages, effectively sliding many workers into poverty. UniCredit is fighting to avoid any increase in Italian poverty, which is why UniCredit’s measures could not have come at a better time.
Mortgage Payments and Poverty in Italy
UniCredit’s financial assistance comes when Italian mortgage rates are rising, with recently established mortgages more expensive than in previous years. Mortgages with variable rates are suffering from the pressures on the housing market and are increasing so companies and banks are able to keep pace with inflation and the market. If homeowners cannot keep pace with the rising rates or high mortgages, they will likely default on their loans, and the banks could repossess their homes.
In 2020, economic activity dropped. As activity decreased, and before the government disbursed subsidies or the economy shifted to work-from-home economic activity, there were fears of being unable to pay one’s mortgage. According to a survey taken in the spring of 2020, 65% said they would probably be alright. However, a third of the respondents said they would definitely or most likely have difficulty paying their mortgages. This fear has not entirely gone away.
Extreme poverty followed many Italians like a shadow due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By mid-2022, 5.6 million Italian people were in absolute poverty. UniCredit’s measures may help to keep that number from increasing.
UniCredit’s Financial Assistance
UniCredit’s issuing of €8 billion in new loans to cover energy costs and pausing payments will allow millions to re-navigate their finances before surging energy bills and new force them into poverty. A three-month break means enough time to properly refinance a mortgage and get it back in order before payments re-commence. UniCredit’s goal is to help its Italian customers navigate the rising inflation and energy costs, keep customers unburdened from their mortgages and keep the economy working smoothly.
Pauses, more formally called “forbearances,” in mortgage payments have several upsides. The critical thing to remember is that even though the payments are temporarily suspended, there is still an obligation to pay the loans. The homeowner does not need to make mortgage payments during the window of the forbearance but must make them later – usually after the closure of the initial mortgage payment window.
UniCredit’s financial assistance is coming at a crucial time, as the limited gas exports and mounting energy bills are beginning to cause panic in Europe. The Italian government has responded by releasing its stimulus packages earlier in 2022 to generate financial stability for its citizens. In conjunction with UniCredit’s work, the two can help keep Italians out of poverty by creating an economic flow that Italy has struggled to achieve since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
– Clara Mulvihill
Photo: Flickr
Ebola Outbreak in Uganda
About 41% of Uganda’s population lives in poverty in 2022. The Ebola outbreak in Uganda has put the region of central Uganda at an even greater risk.
Ebola in Uganda
The Ebola outbreak in Uganda occurred in September 2022. In October 2022, the Ugandan Ministry of Health reported 43 cases and 29 deaths due to the rare Sudan strain of Ebola which can have up to a 90% mortality rate. However, outbreaks may now become less of a problem in Uganda as a consequence of the rest of the world’s increasing pandemic preparedness in the wake of COVID-19.
Previously, Uganda was not able to fortify its healthcare system due to a lack of support and funding. As a result, when this rare strain of Ebola began to attack several districts in the country, Uganda did not have the infrastructure necessary to appropriately contain it. One can see this as a clear indicator that countries like Uganda are still in need of a lot of help, especially from countries like the United States. Patients that have or are suspected of having Ebola also often are diagnosed with malaria which is another sign of people who are in need of assistance.
Uganda’s poverty rate has been climbing for the last decade due to a lack of infrastructure and economic growth. This has made it more difficult to effectively fight against the Ebola outbreak. Uganda does not have enough trained personnel in order to service all of the infected individuals.
Outside Impact
Organizations like Doctors Without Borders have stepped in, erecting temporary hospitals, to provide initial emergency assistance. Meanwhile, on October 6, 2022, USAID donated materials in order to help treat patients who have contracted the disease. It has deployed supplies in a timely manner in hopes that the spread does not get any worse and impact Uganda even more.
The quickness and severity of this outbreak are signs of larger struggles that the country is having when it comes to its economy and healthcare systems. There has been a noticeable response from within and outside of the country but if efforts do not keep up, the effects of this outbreak may only become worse and more noticeable in this community.
USAID, by way of the World Health Organization (WHO), has also provided support to Uganda by providing three viral hemorrhagic fever kits to help combat the spread of Ebola and an assortment of PPE to ensure the safety of all individuals in the area. These supplies have proven invaluable to the efforts of slowing this outbreak and continued support will likely be necessary for a while.
Looking Ahead
Uganda does have experience fighting outbreaks similar in nature to this one as it fought an Ebola outbreak in 2019 and completely contained it in less than a year. Hope exists that with that experience, they will be able to have the situation under control in less time than that and Ugandans will be able to return to normalcy.
– Alex Peterson
Photo: Flickr
A Breakthrough in FGM for the Maasai
To commemorate International Day of the Girl Child 2022, influential leaders from the Maasai community from Kenya and Tanzania will unite in Taita-Taveta County to discuss a long-term strategy to enhance efforts against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in both countries. This action represents a breakthrough in FGM for the Maasai, an ethnic group that has been practicing the practice for centuries. There is the hope that solutions will emerge to support the repression of the deadly action in the region.
About FGM
FGM is a procedure involving the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. Rather than a clinical practice that brings upon health benefits, it does the opposite, causing severe pain, bleeding, fever, infections, shock and even death. As of 2022, according to data available from 30 countries where people practice FGM in the Western, Eastern and North-Eastern regions of Africa and some countries in the Middle East and Asia, more than 200 million females alive today have experienced the practice. Furthermore, there are more than 3 million girls that estimates have estimated are at risk of the practice annually.
FGM in Maasai Communities
The Maasai are a semi-nomadic community located in Kenya and Tanzania. Their population is estimated to be 900,000 individuals and they migrate in search of pasture and water for their animals.
According to a Maasai myth, FGM began in the community when a girl named Napei had sexual intercourse with a family enemy. To punish her and suppress the desires that influenced her to commit the act, she underwent FGM. Since then, every Maasai girl reaching adolescence has undergone it s a way to restrict sexual desire and promiscuity. The ceremony itself is a large annual celebration for all the girls who reach adolescence during the year. Groups of girls aged between 12 and 14 undergo the practice by traditional ‘circumcisers’ or experienced elderly women. They use a sharp instrument known as a ‘ormurunya’ (a sharpened knife) before they apply a paste of cow dung and milk fat to stop any bleeding.
After the ceremony, the girls go into isolation where they learn their duties and responsibilities as women. They then return to the Maasai community, where others then perceive them as fully grown women capable of marrying. By undergoing FGM, Maasai girls bring honor, respect and dignity to both themselves and their families.
FGM Legislation in Kenya and Tanzania
Due to its lack of health benefits, people internationally recognized FGM as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted sexual inequality while being an extreme form of discrimination against them. Despite being widespread amongst the Maasai, over the last 20 years, Kenya and Tanzania have made breakthroughs in FGM legislation, showing their condemnation of the practice.
Tanzania
In 1998, the Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act (SOSPA) passed, criminalizing and punishing the performance of FGM on girls under the age of 18 years. The punishment for breaking the law was between zero and 15 years of imprisonment, along with “a fine of 300,000 Tanzanian shillings.”
Following this, the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children announced a five-year National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children between 2017-2022. An improvement from the 1998 Act, which only imprisoned those that carried out FGM, the National Plan tackles eight specific areas which involve women and girls, and FGM. These are:
Kenya
In October 2011, the government passed the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act. The Act itself prohibited the practice of FGM while safeguarding against the violation of a person’s mental/physical integrity. It established a board whose functions were to:
Kenya also criminalized the practice with a minimum punishment of three years imprisonment and a 242,800 shilling fine.
The Future
While the legislation passed in Kenya and Tanzania against FGM, coupled with increased awareness around its harmful effects have helped to reduce prevalence rates, the deep-rooted practice still remains as communities discover new ways to avoid persecution. Cross-border FGM within Maasai communities remains across Kenya- Tanzania borders, and it is increasingly present in Kenya and Uganda.
However, the ascension of the Maasai leaders in Taita-Taveta County represents a breakthrough in FGM amongst their community. It constitutes a new and optimistic future for the eradication of the practice. Country commissioner Loyford Kibaara stated how “this dialogue is timely” and that all key stakeholders will be involved in the matter to help design strategies to “contain the outdated practice.” With a focus on the social norms, values and attitudes which revolve around FGM, the discussion reflects a large breakthrough in FGM for the Maasai, bringing hope that their traditional beliefs can change.
– Harkiran Bharij
Photo: Flickr
How Genetically Modified Mosquitos Can Fight Malaria in Tanzania
Plasmodium falciparum is the most common form of malaria contracted in Tanzania, accounting for 96% of infections. While previous preventative measures such as insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying have not been completely successful when combating high malaria cases, many researchers in Tanzania believe genetically modifying mosquitos shows promise.
How Do Genetically Modified Mosquitos Work?
The transmission of malaria is a cycle between humans and mosquitos. After mosquitos ingest parasites from human blood, those parasites mate in the mosquito’s gut and infect the next bit human. Genetically modified mosquitos, or GMMs, could potentially stop parasites from reproducing in a mosquito’s gut and prevent the parasites from spreading malaria when feeding on human blood. GMMs are mosquitos that have had genes modified to prevent the transmission of malaria and dengue.
There are two types of modifications that researchers have utilized to address high malaria numbers: population suppression and population replacement. Population suppression is a strategy that aims to reduce the mosquito vector population so pathogen transmission rates decrease. Population replacement focuses on modifying mosquitos, so they no longer have the ability to transfer malaria or dengue pathogens.
When GMMs are set free into the natural environment, the goal is that they pass mutations on to other mosquitos through reproduction and disrupt female mosquito fertility.
Potential Modifying Approaches
The self-limiting approach relies on recurring releases of GMMs without the malaria-causing gene in hopes that they will pass the modification to future mosquito generations through natural mating. However, some researchers are modifying mosquitoes to be sterile, meaning they’ll be unable to pass the mutation to offspring. They will die before the malarial parasites are infectious.
As the effectiveness of self-limiting approach modifications decreases, researchers will need to re-release GMMs periodically. One benefit of this strategy is that researchers can reverse the impact of GMMs by suspending future releases.
A self-sustaining approach is more invasive as this strategy works to ensure the modifications pass through natural breeding indefinitely. The modification will transmit pathogens permanently or until the mosquito population ceases. Minor GMM releases will be necessary but on a smaller scale compared to the self-limiting approach.
However, self-sustaining strategies are more difficult to reverse as researchers design the modifications to remain stable within the mosquito population.
Theoretical Advantages
GMM technologies have addressed issues that previous disease control strategies have had difficulty preventing. By releasing GMMs, they can transmit the modifications to hard-to-reach breeding sites. With this method, researchers in Tanzania rely on the natural behaviors of GMMs.
While nets and indoor residual spraying might fail to prevent mosquitos from escaping control methods, GMM technologies can expand modifications to those mosquito populations. In addition, implementing a concrete plan to target only mosquito vector populations will prevent the usual environmental hazards experienced when using broad pesticides.
One of the most important advantages is that the effects of GMMs are not reliant on social or economic factors. As a result, people residing in areas with GMM treatments receive protection from vector-borne diseases without the need to make unaffordable lifestyle changes. With fewer malarial infections, people living in poverty can focus on improving other aspects of their life rather than health issues.
Current Limitations and Uncertainties for the Future
As the research and implementation of GMMs are relatively new, researchers in Tanzania have a few concerns.
One issue is relying on GMMs to carry mutations to hard-to-reach larval breeding areas. It is difficult to verify that a male GMM has passed the mutation onto the female mosquito. Tracking the results of GMMs in the wild can be difficult, especially with the self-sustaining approach. GMMs can evolve to build a resistance to mutations or lose efficiency as time goes on.
Some scientists at the World Health Organization have questioned how implementing GMMs impacts “human health, animal health, biodiversity and water quality.” As a result, there is a need for more research to address risk assessment and risk planning to determine whether the benefits outweigh the cons.
– Mikada Green
Photo: Flickr
Everything To Know About Period Poverty In Zambia
The Republic of Zambia is a landlocked nation located in Southern Africa. More than 60% of the population lives below the poverty line, with 40% living in extreme poverty. This makes it very difficult to afford basic health necessities such as menstruation products. Here is everything to know about period poverty in Zambia.
Period Poverty
Period poverty is defined by the lack of access to menstrual products, hygiene facilities, waste management and education. Limited access to safe, high-quality menstruation products is an issue that many people who menstruate and are living below the poverty line face around the world. Users must often purchase period supplies in bulk or frequently which can lead to users being economically vulnerable and unable to afford other necessities. This leads to choices that no menstruating person should have to make on whether they can afford to purchase period products or if they will have to forgo them for another essential item.
A Human Rights Issue
Globally, people lack access to education, resources and facilities to manage their periods safely and with decency. Oftentimes, this can cause people who menstruate to miss work or school which can have long-lasting educational and economic consequences down the line. Period poverty is an issue of human rights. Human rights are rights that every human being has an entitlement to by virtue of their dignity. With this, menstruation is inherently related to human dignity. When people cannot access safe and effective means for managing their menstruation, they are not able to menstruate with dignity. As a result, period poverty is a violation of the human rights of those who menstruate.
Period Poverty in Zambia
Period poverty in Zambia has become an increasing issue that too many across the nation have felt. Unhygienic menstrual materials can cause major health issues and often schools, especially in rural Zambia lack adequate facilities for one to practice menstrual hygiene. As a result of this, many have to manage their menstruation in unsanitary ways. In some instances, people have even reported sitting on sand piles during their menses.
Period poverty in Zambia, however, goes beyond just health but also can have negative consequences on one’s education, gender equality and productivity. If a student misses enough days of school as a result of their period, this can lead to them falling behind and potentially dropping out. An Educational Statistical Bulletin found that the percentage of girls between grades one to nine that dropped out was an estimated 2.7%, whereas boys in those grades made up 1.88%. This gap has an association with ineffective menstrual management and the stigma people who menstruate face surrounding menstruation. It also shows the potential for increasing gender inequality as boys are staying in school longer. As a result, they will have access to more education and economic opportunities in the future. Reusable pads, although a potential solution to frequently purchasing menstrual hygiene products are often not affordable to those who need them most.
Some Good News
In recent years, there has been an increase in nonprofit organizations, such as the African Education Program, that are working to provide people who menstruate with resources and period products. The African Education Program was born out of a highschool cafeteria in 2002 in the United States and since its founding has had a strong focus on menstrual health. Today, more than 700 children in Zambia take advantage of their programs and they have created the Amos Youth Center in Kafue, Zambia. The purpose of this Center is to provide a safe, creative educational space for students.
One campaign from the African Education Program called “Reuse, Rise, Rejoice,” is working to ensure that all people who experience periods have access to hygiene products. It raised money to provide 200 girls in Zambia with an individual at-home menstrual health visit, a pack of five reusable pads, and a menstrual cup in 2020. The Program continues today to raise money to provide girls in Zambia with these menstrual resources.
The Zambian Government has also stepped in to help combat the issue of period poverty in Zambia. In 2016, the government pledged to allocate more funds to ensure that menstruation does not limit Zambians’ ability to go to school. However, external sources are still vital in helping end period poverty in Zambia.
While much progress is still necessary to achieve a full and equitable end to period poverty in Zambia, groups like the African Education Program offer hope for the future. A future in which the right to menstruate is a universally recognized human right and all those who menstruate can do so with dignity.
– Emma Cook
Photo: Flickr
The Implementation of 5G in Nigeria
On September 19, 2022, Ericsson announced that it had successfully launched 5G in Nigeria. The 5G hardware and software provider collaborated with Mobile Telephone Network (MTN) Nigeria to begin the first phase of deploying 5G technology throughout the country.
Phase one of the advancements has already started in certain parts of Lagos, one of the seven cities MTN aims to cover. Following this plan, MTN aims to roll out 5G networks throughout the country by the second half of 2022, to close the global digital divide.
The Continent’s Most Virtually Connected Country
Nigeria contributes to 29% of Africa’s internet usage and holds 82% of the continent’s telecom subscribers. This makes the country Africa’s most important information and communications technology (ICT) market.
According to a report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry contributed up to 14.42% to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Nigeria in 2021. The commission accredits the growth to policy implementation, increased demand and investment.
The government of Nigeria (GON) views the ICT market as a key to the further development of the education, health care, agriculture and manufacturing sectors. The GON launched the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030) in November 2019 to further diversify the economy from dependence on oil and gas. This program adheres to eight pillars including “Developmental Regulation, Digital Literacy & Skills, Solid Infrastructure, Service Infrastructure, Digital Services Development & Promotion, Soft Infrastructure, Digital Society & Emerging Technologies, Indigenous Content Development & Adoption.”
However, more than half of the Nigerian population does not have access to the internet. Those from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds have limited access to the internet, technology and ICT skills. This effectively creates a disparity in children’s education due to affordability, lack of infrastructure, perception of digital tech and already-present socioeconomic inequalities.
About 5G
According to the Ericsson website, “5G is the fifth generation of cellular networks, enabling faster connectivity and data transference.” It can use the same radio frequencies that smartphones, Wi-Fi and satellite communications currently use but with additional functions. The implementation of 5G allows reliable, accessible and secure real-time interactions between devices as well as efficient data processing at a higher capacity.
According to Ericsson, 5G is capable of aiding in economic recovery. Expectations determined that these new integrations in info and comms, wholesale/retail, public services and manufacturing will “contribute $13.2 trillion to the global economy by 2035.” Along with the internet of things (IoT) (how physical devices connect, exchange and store data), predictions stated that 5G digital technologies will reduce up to 15% of global emissions by 2030.
The Basics of Spectrum Trading
Spectrum trading applies the concept of property rights to radio frequencies. This ensures a more accessible market for users, increasing efficiency amongst businesses and companies which then invest back into new technology.
By relying on administrative assignments and increased accessibility, spectrum trading allows license holders to react to the rapidly changing markets. Some rights applied to license-protected spectrums include: how long it can be used, within what geographical area and what it can be used for.
In Nigeria, spectrum trading is under the jurisdiction of the NCC. Rules that the NCC set in 2021 outline requirements for eligible sellers and buyers by setting minimum spectrum-holding times and having “sound regulatory and financial standing with the Commission.”
In December of 2021, telecommunication companies MTN and Mafab Communications paid around $550 million for the licenses to distribute 5G in Nigeria. The companies received a deadline of August 24, 2022, to launch the service.
Complications with licensing consequently postponed efforts to develop 5G in Nigeria. At the start of August 2022, MTN had already prepared around 127 sites for testing. However, Mafab was still waiting for the proper licensing needed to distribute (both spectrum and Universal Access Service Licence (UASL).
Other challenges that have impacted the ICT sector include taxation at federal, state and local governments, several regulatory bodies, right of way (RoW) charges and damage to existing infrastructure due to cable theft.
Improving Connectivity for All
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is implementing a “digital economy policy” for Nigeria to enforce a sustainable digital ecosystem. The policies include improved data privacy and protection, increasing digital literacy for youths, enforcing reliable internet connections and integrating digital solutions for different industries.
The successful establishment of 5G in Nigeria would improve healthcare, food security, manufacturing and IoT. The upgraded network would allow healthcare professionals to provide better diagnostics and treatment with hi-tech machinery (EX: EKG machines), digital record archives and telemedicine. This allows for more affordable and accessible healthcare services for those residing in remote low-density locations.
Applications related to IoT will reduce manufacturing costs and accelerate the development of smart cities/smart grids to enhance productivity and create new revenue streams. Smart agriculture/farming supported by 5G could enhance crop and livestock monitoring systems, allowing precise identification of areas that need water, are prone to disease or require pest management.
Plans are in the works to launch in Abuja, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Kano and Maiduguri to fulfill MTN’s first phase in bringing commercial 5G to Nigeria. The telecommunications company aims to provide full national 5G coverage by 2025.
– Aishah French
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Denmark
The impact of COVID-19 is something many still feel across the globe. Each country had its own ways of handling the pandemic, but the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Denmark was negligible due to Denmark’s existing policies, the way the Danish government navigated lockdowns and an important cultural element: social trust.
Existing Poverty Rates and Social Welfare Programs
According to the most recent data available from the World Bank, the poverty rate in Denmark in 2019 was 0% for individuals who make $6.85 a day. When looking at the rate of extreme poverty in the country (less than $1.90 a day), the rate was 0.3%. Denmark’s poverty rates are so low because of the country’s social welfare programs.
These social welfare programs are what leads to quality living in Denmark. The country is No. 2 on the World Happiness Index, received No. 12 on the World Economic Forum competitiveness ranking in 2018 and has one of the lowest wealth inequality scores in the world.
Danish social policies apply to all citizens from cradle to grave, and some of them include paternity or maternity leave up to a full year, municipalities guaranteeing and paying for schooling and nurseries, tuition-free education for college students and generous allowances for families.
Dr. Peter Abrahamson, a sociologist at the University of Copenhagen, described the important element that allows all of these policies to be possible. “Everyone is working,” he said. These social welfare programs allow citizens to become part of the labor market, which helps pay for the high taxes that fund these programs in the first place.
Quick to Close, Early to Reopen
People saw Abrahamson’s statement in action with how the government handled the pandemic, reducing the potential impact of COVID-19 on the poverty rate in Denmark. Denmark’s population is relatively small (5.8 million compared to about 332 million in the U.S. in 2020) and it faced a relatively low death count. The country went into lockdown starting with the Danish Prime Minister ordering all schools, nurseries and universities to close on March 16 (Denmark implemented the order on March 11, a day before France placed the order).
Denmark also asked citizens to start respecting the pandemic protocols as soon as possible, and many embraced them before the lockdown began on March 16. According to a 2020 article from the National Library of Medicine, Denmark had a total of 9,311 cases and 460 deaths in May 2020, whereas other countries such as Switzerland, with roughly similar size and population, had already accumulated three times more cases and deaths. While other countries remained under strict lockdown, Denmark had already begun to reopen its society and industry, allowing people to go back to work.
In 2020, KPMG took a look at some of the financial measures the Danish government implemented in response to COVID-19 once businesses started opening back up. Some of these measures included compensation of 90% of the revenue that self-employed people lost with a fixed cap per month, setting aside 60 million DKK (Danish krone) to improve qualifications for the unemployed, extending unemployment benefits and subsidizing between 25% to 80% of a company’s fixed costs if company revenue was to decline significantly as a result of COVID-19 (the amount subsidized depended on the expected percentage of lost revenue).
Trust in the Government and in Others
The lockdown policies and quick reopening of the country would not have been as smooth as they were without the Danish people’s trust in the government and themselves. Trust is an important element of Danish culture and is what allows citizens to live their lives as they do. According to Christian Bjørnskov, a professor of economics at Denmark’s Aarhus University, a combination of trust, confidence in the government and others and strong economic developments are what makes Danes happy, not the social welfare programs. The Danes understand that the services their government provides are a contribution to their efficient labor market.
The Danes also trust their government to deliver what they need. Denmark’s Happiness Research Institute, for example, looks for what people and allows politicians to be able to deliver on that. As for the pandemic, Denmark applied the same type of trust between the government and the people.
According to an article from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), more than 75% of eligible citizens were fully vaccinated as of October 2021 and more than 60% of the adult population underwent testing each week. Testings were free to schedule as well, and citizens saw them as a way to keep others safe and to do their part rather than as an infringement of rights.
Through existing social welfare programs, clean handling of the pandemic and the social trust that exists between citizens and government, the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Denmark was able to be negligible. Based on previous data trends from the World Bank, one can assume that Denmark will continue to see very low poverty rates as the world adjusts to a post-pandemic world.
– Matthew Wikfors
Photo: Unsplash
Foreign Aid to Palestine
There is no escaping the fact that the West Bank has significant indicators of improved living conditions and infrastructure. Roads that were once rough dirt trails have been smoothed out over the past three decades. Standard childhood vaccination rates have reached nearly 100%. Boys and girls are attending school and reading at record levels.
Since the Oslo Accords in the mid-1990s, a treaty that was meant to deliver peace and a Palestinian state, significant sums of foreign aid to Palestine made possible many of these changes: The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates that between 1994 and 2020, funding to the Palestinians totaled more than $40 billion.
Poverty-Affected Citizens
Due to the embargo on the Gaza Strip since 2007, which has caused a resurgence of hostilities and political divides, the Palestinian economy has suffered. A total of 2.1 million Palestinians—out of a total population of 5.3 million—need humanitarian aid. Parallelly, 80% of Gaza’s populace is aid-dependent.
Individual States
Between 1994 and 2020, Germany, France, Norway, the U.K. and Japan provided more than 20% of all foreign aid to Palestine. Along with their contributions to UNRWA, Germany and other European nations were anticipated to invest up to €80 million ($70 million) in water projects in Gaza in 2021.
The European Union
In 2021, the European Commission rapidly redirected €100,000 from current World Health Organization (WHO) initiatives to address the first emergency health requirements in reaction to the violence raging throughout Palestine and the high number of civilian deaths. The Palestinian Authority launched the COVID-19 immunization program on March 21, 2021, following the receipt of vaccinations from the COVAX facility.
With more than €2.2 billion, the EU and its member states are one of the largest funders of COVAX. Since 2000, the European Union has contributed more than €818 million in humanitarian aid to support the Palestinian people with their most basic needs.
The United Nations
U.N. organizations spent nearly $4.5 billion, including $600 million in 2020 alone, in Gaza between 2014 and 2020. Three-quarters of Gaza’s population are Palestinian refugees, who receive more than 80% of that funding through the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. UNRWA, which also offers food assistance and health services, runs schools for some 280,000 students in Gaza.
The World Bank
The World Bank granted a $30 million Development Policy Grant for the Palestinian Territories to assist reforms in the areas of inclusiveness, transparency and the green economy on July 7, 2022. Additionally, the World Bank will give $7 million to Gaza’s most vulnerable populations.
While the Gaza Emergency Support for Social Services Project offers access to a variety of social services, short-term funding for services, and online work possibilities, 80% of recipients of a comparable intervention under the Gaza Emergency Cash for Work and Self-Employment Support fund contracts worth more than $500,000, demonstrating the effectiveness of this modality in fostering employment prospects for adolescents and women in particular.
The Arab Nations
Between 1994 and 2020, five Arab nations gave the Palestinians the majority of the $8.5 billion in Arab funding. Their abundance in oil and gas plays a crucial role in maintaining the welfare of Palestinians, which also increases their capacity to have an influence on the Palestinian cause. Saudi Arabia received $4 billion in donations during this time, followed by the UAE ($2.1 billion), Algeria ($908 million), Qatar ($766 million) and Kuwait ($758 million) as the top five donors.
Since 2012, Qatar has given Gaza $1.3 billion in aid for infrastructure, health care and agriculture. This includes the $360 million allocated in January for 2021 and the additional $500 million pledged in May for post-war rehabilitation. The money from Qatar also helps pay the wages of the Hamas leadership and supports needy families. According to the Palestinian Authority, $1.7 billion will go to Gaza, with it primarily going toward pay for the tens of thousands of government officials who had to leave their jobs in 2007 when Hamas assumed power.
Conclusion
Foreign aid to Palestinians came in a variety of forms and sizes, for a variety of reasons. These included crisis relief, development projects, budget support, donations to grassroots groups, loans and technical help. Regardless of the aims or types of help that Palestinians have received over the past 20 years, this aid has had a substantial impact on the country’s political, social and economic landscape.
Although there have been substantial socioeconomic improvements, more foreign aid in Palestine is necessary to promote the establishment of institutions necessary for a two-state solution and to fulfill Palestinian aspirations for their economy to be on the road to sustainable growth.
– Karisma Maran
Photo: Flickr
Rebuilding Education in Myanmar
Military Rule
In February 2021, Myanmar’s Tatmadaw staged a coup and declared military rule, and claimed that the National League for Democracy’s (NLD) win in the November 2020 general election was illegitimate. The civil war and rife with humanitarian crises are still a part of everyday life in Myanmar. As of September 2022, over 2,000 civilians have been killed and more than 15,000 have been arrested. Adding on to the crisis, the kyat is also at an all-time low. Numerous workers and public servants have opposed junta rule through strikes and boycotts under the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). This has taken a toll on the availability of resources and public services across the country, but much of Myanmar’s population perseveres through this toilsome protest for the sake of democracy.
Threats to Education
In 2020, the government canceled schools and universities for a year due to the pandemic. Upon reopening last June, only 10% of students enrolled again, as many took part in the movement against a “military slave education.” The education ministry of the exiled National Unity Government supported the movement. On April 26, the group encouraged education staff not to return to university or school until the junta has been ousted.
In March 2022, the Myanmar Teacher’s Federation estimated that three-quarters of education ministry staff were participating in the CDM. Many have gone into hiding for fear of arrest – the junta has killed at least three teachers and five students. Direct danger has also deterred parents from sending their children to school, with Save the Children stating that there have been at least 260 attacks on schools between May 2021 and April 2022.
More recently, a junta attack on a Township school in the Sagaing Region left 11 children dead and many others injured. The U.N. Secretary-General condemned this attack, stating: “even in times of armed conflict, schools must remain areas in which children are granted protection and a safe place to learn.”
COVID-19 closures followed by CDM strikes have effectively taken two years off children’s school lives. Although the military regime persists, communities are persistent in not canceling a third year of education in Myanmar by establishing new school systems outside the Tatdmadaw administration.
Efforts to Keep Kids in School
Myanmar’s eastern Karenni State has seen 170,000 people internally displaced, with the military combating resistance forces through airstrikes and artillery fire, according to The New Humanitarian. Amidst the violence, the Karenni Education Department is running 129 schools under an ethnic revolutionary organization and is currently educating more than 12,000 students. Despite a lack of funding and resources, the schools continue to persist in former government schools and churches. Volunteer teachers typically run the schools and and furnish them with tables and chairs made of bamboo. In areas without buildings, some schools even make do outdoors.
Similar scenes are unfolding in the northwestern Sagaing region, where the junta burned villages and killed civilians, but these schools stay open under the National Unity Government. A teacher at one of the 148 schools running in the Kani township claims that military attacks lead to teachers and students often having to hide in forests for days at a time. He says, “While we are fleeing, we cannot teach formally; we can only teach stories and poems to younger children,” The New Humanitarian reports.
With the Tatmadaw holding its power tight, Myanmar’s journey back to democracy will be arduous and bloody. However, citizens refuse to give up their fight and refuse to sacrifice children’s school lives along the way. This is exemplified by the actions of rural communities that are finding ways to protect education in Myanmar amidst mass boycotts and civil war.
– Imogen Scott
Photo: Flickr
3 Organizations Fighting Cambodia’s Drinking Water Crisis
Cambodia’s Drinking Water Crisis
One in three Cambodians drinks water from a non-improved or non-reliable source. While the country has improved in sanitation, this improvement is primarily present in urban areas such as Phnom Penh, which is Cambodia’s capital. Basic sanitation in urban areas increased from 49% to 88% in 2015, but only 39% of the rural population has basic sanitation, and only 24% drink water from a clean, regulated water source. Children in rural areas are also two times more likely to drink from contaminated drinking sources than urban children. Seeing as how 61% of the Cambodian population lives in rural areas, it is clear that the majority of the population is suffering.
Moreover, eight in 10 Cambodians living in rural areas defecate in open bodies of water due to a lack of toilets, according to UNICEF. This open defecation leads to coliform and E. coli, which are both disease-causing bacteria, in drinking water. Sadly, diarrhea contributes to most of the under-five child deaths in Cambodia and can lead to stunted and impaired brain development.
Water.org
Starting its work in Cambodia in 2014, Water.org is a global nonprofit that brings clean water and sanitation to countries around the world. The organization uses microfinance, which is a service provided to those who usually don’t have access to banking or financial services. Water.org, through its WaterCredit Initiative program, partners with financial institutions willing to supply small loans to locals. These locals then use the loans to install toilets in their homes so they no longer have to defecate in open bodies of water.
The organization had a goal of reaching 300,000 Cambodians in three years, but they met the goal in two. Overall, in Cambodia, Water.org has reached 1.9 million people, disbursed 435,000 loans and achieved an average repayment rate of 99%.
Cambodians Community Dream Organization (CCDO)
Working in Cambodia for 15 years, the Cambodian Community Dream Organization (CCDO) aids villages surrounding Siem Reap through its Clean Water program. Through the program, the organization has provided ceramic filters as an alternative to boiling to save fuel, hygiene workshops to educate locals on the importance of hand-washing and over 1,500 water wells.
The most notable part of the CCDO’s work is its water well repair program. The CCDO does not believe in building wells and does not consider the future damages to the wells. Instead, they provide a program that works to regularly examine, replace or fix worn wells.
In addition to the Clean Water program, the organization has also installed 600 latrines since January 2014.
Clear Cambodia
Formed in 2010, Clear Cambodia is a local NGO that recognizes the consequences of E. Coli infections. The organization emphasizes how they are a program run for Cambodians by Cambodians. The organization has impacted 2,527,628 Cambodians through its projects.
Clear Cambodia is famous for fighting against Cambodia’s drinking water Crisis through their household biosand filters. Biosand filters are an adaptation to sand filters found in nature as the sand and gravel remove pathogens and other solids from water. Biosand filters can remove up to 98.5% of bacteria from contaminated drinking water. Clear Cambodia has provided 339,662 biosand filters to households and an additional 1,547 biosand filters to schools. In addition to these filters, the organization has also allocated 236,140 handwashing tools, installed 11,206 household latrines, implemented 1,539 handwashing stations and provided 212 wells.
A Better Future
As Cambodia’s poverty rates decrease, its drinking water crisis does not seem too far behind. Cambodia’s government is committed to reaching 100% coverage of rural sanitation services by 2025, as evidenced by a bold 14-year plan drawn out in 2011. With organizations like Water.org, the CCDO and Clear Cambodia doing their part to fight the drinking water crisis, there is great optimism that the nation will make it through this challenge in good time.
– Blanly Rodriguez
Photo: Flickr