The Africa Review in Five highlights African current affairs from a Christian perspective. Listen and subscribe through Youtube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Today is Friday, June 16th, A.D. 2023. This is The Africa Review in Five, written by Paul Schlehlein and presented by Yamikani Katunga

Silly Student Loans

According to the Nigerian Premium Times, on Monday, June 12th, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu signed into law a bill to establish a Students Loan Fund to provide interest-free loans to Nigerians seeking higher education.

But contrary to popular opinion, these interest-free student loans are most likely unwise, not only in Nigeria but worldwide. Why? Because there is little chance these loans will be repaid. This is for three reasons. 

First, these loans are now government subsidized. In past free-market nations, private loans were funded by a bank. Bank ‘A’ risked the chance that Borrower ‘B’ may not pay back the loan. The risk varied from person to person. So the banks were very careful to whom they loaned money. Not anymore. Mr. Tinubu said: “This will expand access to education to all Nigerians regardless of their backgrounds.” Such decisions will lead not only to reckless loans, but considerable and constant hikes in tuition costs. 

Secondly, universities worldwide, including those in Nigeria, are filling their degree programs with fluff study courses that rarely aid the workforce. Degrees in programs like sociology, gender studies, philosophy, archeology, and fashion design rarely yield worthwhile jobs, making it even more difficult to pay back the loans. 

Thirdly and finally, the unemployment rates in Nigeria are so high that it will make it difficult for students to find jobs, even if they earned a profitable degree. The President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), Anderson Ezeibe said the repayment of loans after two years of graduation isn’t probable when there are no guaranteed forms of employment after graduation.

Don’t forget Henry Hazlitt’s book, ‘Economics in One Lesson’. His one lesson was this: do not consider only the immediate consequence of a government policy but the lasting consequences too. Or, do not consider only how a policy helps a few but also how it helps the larger population. 

Or, as St. Paul said in Philippians 2:4: “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

Diabetes Expanding

According to recent research, African countries have among the lowest rates of diabetes in the world. Per the International Diabetes Federation, less than 2% of Africa’s population has diabetes, with nations like Benin and The Gambia having the lowest record of diabetes in the world. Pakistan has the highest percentage of its adult population with diabetes at 31%.

Diabetes, which is a disease that affects how the body turns food into energy, is growing worldwide in both population and cost. It was responsible for 6.7 million deaths in 2021 alone. 

There are two kinds of diabetes. Type 1, which is often caused by genetic and environmental reasons, and Type 2, which is often caused not just by genetic factors, but lifestyle components such as obesity, poor diet, smoking, and physical inactivity. Type 2 diabetes is by far the most common, making up between 90-95% globally. 

Unlike the world, Christians do not have a preoccupation with the physical body, knowing our life on earth is but for a short time as spoken about it James 4:14. Still, believers are to care for their body to the best of their ability. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Aging Population Grows

Finally, according to the 2022 UN World Population Prospects, there were 771 million people aged 65 years and upwards globally, that’s about 10% of the world population. But the world’s population is aging rapidly. Those 65 and older are estimated to be 25% of the world’s population by the year 2100, and over 40% by that same time for countries like South Korea, China, and Jamaica. 

There are only 26 countries that are projected to have those who are 65 years and older at under 15% of the total population in the year 2100. Every one of them is an African nation. 

God gave a dominion mandate to his creation in the book of Genesis. “Be fruitful and multiply,” he said. “Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with [children],” says Psalms 127:5. Having children is a good thing. When we ignore this injunction, both individuals and nations will reap the harsh consequences of what they sowed.  
And that’s it for The Africa Review in Five on this Friday, June 16th in the year of our Lord 2023. Subscribe to the Missionary Minds podcast on Spotify or Apple podcasts. I’m Yamikani Katunga. Be not weary in well-doing.