Nigeria's Health; Nigeria's Wealth

Just as I was gathering my final thoughts about what to write tonight, I inadvertently stumbled on some really jolting news. I read a few minutes ago that a friend and colleague slumped and died yesterday. Just a day before his birthday. A young man in his mid-thirties with a young family and his entire life seemingly ahead of him. This, in the same week I read of the demise of another colleague who I undertook my national service with a few years ago. I have only fond memories of these two learned colleagues, especially because of their jovial disposition to many things. Now, all I remember are their smile-lit faces.

It is quite likely that many people can relate to this phenomenon. You probably knew, directly or remotely, a seemingly healthy young person who dropped and died suddenly. The World Health Organisation describes this as Sudden Death (SD) – where an unexpected change in a person’s hitherto stable clinical condition results in death. Nigeria’s demographics, where there is a rapidly growing youthful population, presents ready fodder for this rampaging phenomenon. More and more young people, like my two colleagues, will leave home every morning totally oblivious of the fact that they would not walk through that door ever again. That is what Sudden Death does. It robs people of final goodbyes and chances to make amends or set records straight. Robbery, day light and even at night during sleep.

Often, ailments that affect the heart are the root causes of Sudden Death. So significant is their contribution to the total number of deaths that a second phenomenon, termed Sudden Cardiac Death, was coined. Globally, heart-related diseases are the biggest sudden killers but their impact is particularly pronounced in emerging economies like Nigeria, where they account for 8 in every 10 deaths recorded world-wide. The spectrum of these illnesses comprises of hypertension, myocardial infarction (heart attack), cerebrovascular disease (stroke) and diabetes.

Hypertension infamously earned the title ‘Silent Killer’ and it has stayed true to this appellation. It is a totally symptomless pathology that quietly and steadily wrecks havoc on its sufferer till death ensues. And indeed, more than half of people afflicted with hypertension do not know. Diagnosis is almost always incidental. Like the popular saying among Nigerian law enforcement agents, ignorance is not an excuse and it is this ignorance that remains the strongest weapon of the disease. It wields so much power and potency simply because many people do not know, or are not bothered to check. When properly managed, hypertension can be non-fatal but a good first step is knowing.

It is now common knowledge that one of the key and most critical attributes of successful people, both in business and otherwise, is the value they place on their health. You see, you have to be primarily healthy to function in whatever capacity. Be it closing a multi-billion deal or executing a well-planned business strategy. A sound mind and a healthy body are basic requirements regardless of your ‘hussle’. No wonder, the World Health Organisation defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease.

It therefore behoves every upwardly mobile, ambitious and driven young person, male or female, to pay utmost attention to health matters. A good starting point is knowing your numbers. The human body is like an automobile engine. Before a major breakdown, it is likely that subtle signs of impending doom had been missed or ignored. This is where numbers are critical and it is imperative that you keep abreast with them to ensure that eventualities like Sudden Death are nipped in the bud. What are these numbers you may wonder?

ü  Blood Pressure – There are so many DIY battery-powered machines available over the counter these days that it bordering on irresponsible for one to be totally in the dark about one’s blood pressure. They are easy to operate, painless, fast and near accurate monitors that are also largely affordable. They quickly give you an idea of the resistance your heart is working against to pump blood around your body. Owning one of such digital BP monitors becomes even more important if an individual has a family history of hypertension as it is common knowledge that it is largely a hereditary disease. The best time to check would probably be in the morning before any physical exertion in a seated position, with the cuff of the monitor wrapped around the upper left arm and the machine itself at the level of the heart. A normal reading is 120/80mmHg.

ü  Body Mass Index – This is a critical number given the significant role played by obesity in the development of the aforementioned causes of sudden death. There is a saying in medical circles, that there are two phenomena that have absolutely no benefits to the human body – these are obesity and cigarette smoking. The BMI gives a quick idea of one’s physical state by correlating weight and height. A simple division of the weight by the square of one’s height grades into Normal, when between 18 and 24, Overweight when between 24 and 30 and Obese when greater than 30. It quickly tells you what the ideal weight should be for someone of your height and is an accurate predictor of complications of heart-related problems.

ü  Blood Sugar – Best done following an overnight fast, the blood sugar gives you an idea of how well your body handles sugar. Sugar is the most ubiquitous energy source for the human body and it fuels daily activities, including money making. Yes! It is therefore essential that it is regulated within a range of normal that is not too low – hypoglycaemia or too high as found in diabetes. Diabetes is a debilitating illness that affects virtually every aspect of daily living if not properly managed and it is a chief root cause of heart attacks and strokes. Again, there are simple-to-use DIY glucometers available over the counter in pharmacy shops. A normal fasting reading should range between 70 to 100g/dl.

ü  Cholesterol – This is perhaps the most technical of all the numbers given that there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ types of cholesterol. Essentially, a total cholesterol should suffice in picking out individuals at risk of heart-related issues. By slowing coalescing on the walls of blood vessels, cholesterol narrows the arteries and increases the resistance to blood flow from the heart. Remember hypertension? So the heart is in a gym basically, building its muscles till it has ‘six packs’. Unfortunately, it outgrows its own blood supply and can suddenly shut down if this lack of blood and oxygen persists. There are a number of decent laboratories in Lagos that offer the service and should be done routinely to ensure you are always on top of things.

Beyond the numbers, people who aspire for great professional and business success must inculcate certain habits that promote good health. Chief on this list would be exercise. Yes, exercise. That seemingly gruelling activity that often leaves you like you are auditioning for Emzor Paracetamol advert on TV. It is recommended that every individual partakes in a 30-minute exercise at least thrice a week. In a city like Lagos, this can be quite daunting which is why one must actively make time to exercise. The benefits accruable to virtually every organ of the human body are immense and cannot be overstated. The American College of Sports Medicine posits that exercise has significant bearing on all the aforementioned numbers – blood pressure, blood sugar, BMI and cholesterol. There are also documented research findings that support the assertion that exercise confers longevity to a certain extent. Simple and pragmatic solutions to packed schedules that do not permit exercises in Lagos include walking rather than driving, using the stairs rather than elevators, walking long distances to grab lunch during breaks and consciously parking far off to allow some walking time. In 2014, Business Insider listed regular exercises as one of the key habits most global CEOs had in common. Want to get to the top? Get up and get going!

In addition to knowing numbers and exercising regularly, young people must take particular care of their bodies. Your body must be managed and handled deftly like a business venture, giving it the right input at every point in time to get optimal function and results. Eating right is as essential as avoiding alcohol and tobacco. Adequate rest is just as essential as exercise. It is advisable to develop a well- structured regimen that incorporates all these elements to keep the body and mind in top form. That is where Earth-shattering ideas emanate from, from well-drilled anatomies and razor-sharp mentalities. So plan a daily routine that allows you take utmost care of your body and mind and watch your productivity soar like never before.

Nigeria’s most critical economic drivers are in the age range ravaged currently by the scourge of Sudden Death and its underlying causes. Besides the gargantuan costs lost to provision of health care for these morbidities, the Nigerian state loses taxable man hours – hours that could have been put to good use contributing to the nation’s GDP – to largely preventable ailments. The onus then lies on the most affected and most susceptible constituency to actively take responsibility for their health by simply stepping up.

We owe it to our fallen friends and colleagues. We owe it to Nigeria.

 

 

 

 

Parenting 101

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it - Proverbs 22 v 6.

Perhaps one of the most cogent admonitions the good book has for old, new and prospective parents. As simple and clear as this instruction is, my generation appears fixated on the path to perdition, especially concerning parenting.

Everyday I spend as Akintoye's father makes me respect my own parents even more. Parenting is a big deal and must be addressed with all the seriousness it entails. As if raising one kid was not hard enough, mine raised five! Knowing what I know now, how that did not confer a Nobel Prize is even more befuddling. As each day passes by and my son ticks the developmental milestone boxes, I learn that several very subtle and minute pieces add up to the big picture. Parenting is a collage. You are constantly bringing bits and pieces together to create a living artwork. This work will eventually reflect your thoughts, moods, personality and entire being. So consciously and otherwise, you are constantly working to ensure your piece of art turns out exceptionally brilliant.

It will help to admit that the opening passage is by no means set in stone. I attended schools with children birthed by renowned clergymen and yet, their rascality knew no bounds. As my people say 'pikin wey go die, go die'. But this must not deter us from doing our very best to ensure our scions turn out better than we did.

It is even harder to raise a kid in today's Nigeria, largely because of how worn and thin our moral fabric has become collectively. Nigerians raising their children in the U.K and the United States may beg to differ, The truth is everyone has a story but I can only opine based on my realities here in Lagos. I am worried for the emerging stream of parents. I mean the 'FIT' parents (where F stands for Facebook, I for Instagram and T for Twitter). I am worried for the 'selfies and twerking' generation of parents. If you stay on social media long enough, you ought to be worried also. Especially for the kids that will be raised by this current strain of parents. We are distinctly different from our parents, particularly in the quality and content of our thoughts.

Parenting should change you. Physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually. If you were still growing before the journey began, birthing should automatically propel you to new levels of responsibility, You simply cannot expect to remain the same. This is a basic flaw in reasoning I have observed today. A being relies on you for existence. A being watches your every move and soaks your vibes. A being is imprinted every minute by your mannerism and utterances. How do you emerge from that unchanged?

Good habits are easy to inculcate in early life. Take care of your body. Dress properly. Eat properly. Sleep properly. Exercise. Read. Pray. Let them see you do it. Television is dangerous. Books, on the other hand, will do incredible things to a child's mind and cerebration. The time to start is now. Television is even more dangerous when all you watch is Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Oh my! There are two critical reasons why you must guard your mind and sight from such inane tele-visioning. These are beside the obvious debilitating effect on mentation and I.Q. The first is the surreptitious erosion of self-esteem and self-worth. It feeds a part of your brain that makes you discontent. You are not rich enough. You are not fashionable enough. You are not sexy enough. You are not glamorous enough. You are just not enough and every episode hacks away a piece of your peace. It is disturbing the sheer number of young people who find this level of dysfunction in a single family entertaining. Now the question is, how do you raise kids who are comfortable in their own skins when your standards of good enough are based on the artificiality and shallowness of the E! Channel?

The second reason is the 'She-Dad, She-Mom' narrative. The truth is that we are eventually going to accept homosexuality. Sooner or later. It has become anachronistic to be homophobic. A study even found that homophobes may have a mental problem. Yes. We are at that point. A few years ago, we used to openly express disgust at the very thought of it. Today, we speak against it in hushed tones and the 'judge not so you are not judged' narrative holds sway. Liberal is the new cool. And the media, oh the media! If I ever doubted the power of the media, I am certainly convinced now. I do not envy the kids we will raise in this age. Should our parents have been this liberal also? Or even their own parents? Who knows, maybe we won't even be here. I know it is coming and is probably inevitable but I do not intend to speed up the process by exposing my offspring to shows where Daddy has a deep voice but wears make-up exactly like Mummy does. No, thank you.

 The other very worrying aspect of parenting today is education. Perhaps not entirely the fault of young people today as they are victims of a systemic rot. More and more 'educated' young people can't write proper English. Speaking properly is even a luxury. Lately, I have had to interact with many unemployable graduates of Nigerian universities and I shudder at the thought of them going through homework with their toddlers. Is it the generation that finds it difficult to differentiate between 'Am' and 'I am' that will teach toddlers? Or the one that consciously writes 'Oladapo' as 'Horlardhapor'? Is it not even easier to pen the former?

Another aspect I suspect we will probably falter as our parents did is that of ethnicity and tribalistic jingoism. Our parents, like theirs, failed woefully in cementing Nigeria's unity. One wonders how we allowed such distrust fester unabated since Nnamdi Azikwe, Obafemi Awolowo and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa till date. The same divisions that plagued us then still do today, even more malignantly. Many of the 'FIT' parents display worrying levels of bigotry on social media, their favorite pastime. Tribalism assumed human form pre-elections in March. Young people who have been serially raped by uninspiring leaders lunge at the other's jugular while defending the very people responsible for their economic and intellectual stagnancy. Our parents were overly tribalistic despite the high quality and rich content of their thoughts. They were better educated certainly, thus accentuating the gravity of what prevails today. At 27, my father was a thoroughbred professional with sound work ethics and insatiable ambition. I know too many 27-year olds sagging their pants in Lagos and arguing about Olamide and Don Jazzy. They are going to be parents soon.

Our mandate is clear. We are custodians of destinies. Our parents toiled and fought for us. Our mothers even endured difficult marriages. But they never stopped fighting for us. How will we shape Nigeria's, and indeed the world's, future? The answer certainly isn't on the E! channel.

Switch off the television and grab a book. It will do Junior a whole lot of good.

Jesu a ko wa mose o...