Neoliberal Reforms, Healthcare and other Human Development Challenges in Nigeria
No Thumbnail Available
Date
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Global Journals Inc. (USA)
Abstract
Description
Since the adoption of the neoliberal policy in Nigeria
in the 1980s, its impact on the human development indices of
the citizenry has not been satisfactory as manifested by the
unequal income distribution gap between the rich and the
poor over the years. Besides, the health conditions of
Nigerians have experienced a decline as revealed by the
increasing rate of child/infant mortality and maternal mortality
which expresses the failure of government reforms in
adequately addressing some aspects of the United Nations
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Using secondary
sources of data, this paper investigated how government’s
implementation of the neoliberal policies had impacted on the
healthcare and human development indices of the citizens. It
was observed that rather than improve the healthcare situation
and human development indices of citizens, the Bretton
Woods-authored reforms have rather narrowed opportunities
for healthcare and human development in Nigeria. To improve
the declining human development indices of citizens, the
paper recommends the roll out of a politics of paradise to rein
in the poverty and deprivation suffered by many Nigerians and
the need for a human-faced approach to economic reforms,
among others. The paper concludes that government must
revisit the neoliberal reforms package in the country and
stamp out the use of ad hoc and discretionary handouts and
market-led growth which have failed to engender a trickledown
effect on the social realities of Nigerians. Citizen welfare and
comfort must guide government’s actions and intentions and
should remain the benchmark for assessing the impact of any
form of economic or social reforms that it desires to implement
in the country.
Keywords
HM Sociology