Sh*t is getting real

Cholera is now in 33 Nigerian states and it's still spreading

Jul 04, 2024

Good morning, Big Brains. I have more updates about my generator that you didn’t ask for. I’ve not had a reason to turn it on since I got it because NEPA has suddenly started acting right. Safe to say this Band B thing is starting to favour me and mine. Anywoo, less yapping, more reading.

- Margaret

Word count: ~1000
Reading time ~ 3 mins

Let’s get into today’s edition:

NCDC records over 2,000 cholera cases in 33 states
Sierra Leone officially bans child marriage
SSANU plans nationwide strike starting today due to unpaid 4-month salaries

The Big Deal

NCDC records over 2,000 cholera cases in 33 states

We’ve got a serious cholera problem on our hands, and it’s getting more real than ever. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), there are over 2,100 suspected cases of cholera across 33 Nigerian states now which is disturbingly higher than the 1,579 cases reported last week.

NCDC Director General, Jide Idris, also added that the fatality rate of the disease has risen to 3%.

“As at 30th June 2024, we have recorded a total number of 2,102 suspected cases, 63 deaths across 33 states and 122 LGAs with a case fatality rate of 3.0 per cent,” he said.

The outbreak is particularly worse in states like Lagos, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Abia, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Rivers, and Delta. And residents of these states are at more risk of contracting the disease.

Why is this a big deal?

There are currently only 3 Nigerian states that are yet to record any case of cholera and judging by how fast the disease has been spreading, it’s only a matter of time before it reaches those states too.

Benita, who was recently discharged from the hospital after completing her cholera treatment, described what living with the disease for four days felt like.

“I’ve been seeing news of the outbreak but I thought it was just one of those things so I wasn’t particularly freaked out by it. Street food has always been my thing, especially when I’m coming back home from work. “

“One day, I was enjoying moin-moin and bread, the next day I was fighting for my life in the emergency unit of my family hospital. I was stooling and vomiting non stop. I was weak, dehydrated and could barely even move. I’m grateful to God that I made it because it was the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life”.

For Benita, it was moin-moin but according to Mr Idris, the disease can be caused by consuming any type of contaminated water and food. So it’s best to avoid all types of takeout for now.

Sierra Leone officially bans child marriage

Everybody say “Up FEMCO!”. If you’ve seen the video of a group of Sierra Leonean women celebrating the potential ban of child marriage in Sierra Leone, we’re glad to tell you that President Julius Maada Bio has finally made the law official.

And the best part – any man that tries to marry a minor will now face jail term of at least 15 and a fine of approximately $4,000. Parents who consent to the marriage of their underaged daughters and wedding guests who attend any wedding ceremony involving a minor too will also be fined.

Advocates expect the new law to provide improved protection for girls in Sierra Leone. Child marriage has been normalized in Sierra Leone for too long and the practice has contributed to the country’s high maternal mortality rates due to the risks associated with early pregnancy.

According to UNICEF, West and Central Africa have the highest rates of child marriage globally, with nearly 60 million child brides residing in the region. In 2022, there were 23.6 million child brides in Nigeria alone, the highest in West Africa.

According to the Child Rights Act of 2003, the legal minimum age for marriage in Nigeria is 18 years. But 12 (primarily in the northern region) states are yet to adopt this Act into their local laws. In these states, Islamic law is more respected, and the minimum age for marriage can be as low as 12 years old. Sierra Leone’s new law is a call for African countries like Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia to do better.

There may be some hope for minors who were married off before the law was passed…

Some advocates believe that this new law will also provide the opportunity for child brides who were married off before the law was passed to annul their marriages and go back to their normal lives. We cannot confirm whether this is true yet but we hope it is.

SSANU plans nationwide strike starting today due to unpaid 4-month salaries

Any small thing this year, strike. From the Labour Union to the Academic Staff Union of University, every union in Nigeria has demands that keep going straight to voicemail. Joining the list of aggrieved unions is the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) who will likely start a nationwide strike on July 4th, alongside its sister union, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities Associated Institutions (NASU). The union claims that the government owes its members four months of withheld salaries.

So far, SSANU said the government has shown insensitivity and tried to divide unions, favouring one over the others. Some unions have started receiving their withheld salaries but SSANU hasn’t been very lucky. While the union supports their colleagues receiving payments, they expect fair treatment too.

They also criticised the federal government for stopping the payment of a ₦35,000 wage award meant to relieve members of the union of the impact of fuel subsidy removal. One of their demands is the immediate resumption of these payments across all states.

SSANU also warned that if the federal government doesn’t approve the new minimum wage soon, they will collaborate with other labour unions to shut down operations.

This Week’s Big Question

“Would you rather never have to work for money or get your dream job?”

Bello’s response -”Working for money only feels like work when you hate your job. If I get my dream job at Google, I think I’ll feel very fulfilled.”

You can also share your response here and if it’s as interesting as Bello’s response, we’ll feature it in the next edition.

The Big Picks

Biden ‘Absolutely Not’ Withdrawing From Race: Yesterday, Joe Biden's spokeswoman confirmed that he is "definitely not" withdrawing from the White House race, despite increasing pressure on the Democrat after his challenging debate with Donald Trump.

Canada Names First Woman To Lead Military: Canada's prime minister has announced the appointment of Lieutenant-General Jennie Carignan as the first woman to head the military of a G7 and NATO member nation.

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