Two issues came up in the last few days on why it is key to avoid self-medication and sedentary lifestyles, and engage in productive activities, irrespective of someone’s employment status. This is because it has been observed that employed persons hardly engage in tasks that keep their bodies physically strong while the many jobless youths would latch of the unemployment situation in the country to remain idle. To get over this dilemma, useful tips have been offered on what to do under these conditions. To start with, Nigerians have been advised to stop self-medication and be wary of those selling drugs that can allegedly cure many diseases. This piece of advice was given by the Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ogun State Chapter, Dr. Adekunle Ashimi in commemoration of this year’s World Diabetes Day.
According to him, diabetes is one of the silent-killer diseases, saying it does not have a cure, but can be controlled, urging the people to regularly go for medical check-ups to know their health status. “Some of the symptoms of diabetes are impaired eyes, kidney problems, non-feeling of sensation as well as having injuries that won’t heal in time and also contracting infections easily while some won’t have those symptoms at all and it will be killing them silently. That is why we need to regularly go for check-ups”, he stated. The NMA chairman reiterated that Nigerians needed to regularly examine their blood sugar and level and avoid sedentary lifestyle, urging them to eat healthy foods, avoid alcohol and embrace a lifestyle that would make the country diabetes-free for “Healthy eating is very important, avoid alcohol and stop smoking, which are injurious to your health”, he advised.
Dr. Ashimi equally urged Nigerians to imbibe the culture of health insurance where they can pay little to have access to good medical treatment, adding that the habit of not going to the hospital for check-ups should be discouraged. On getting our able-bodied youths to be productive and physically active, a graduate of Animal Production and Health, Mr. Adeola Adeniran has opened up that each time he gets to know that a graduate of agriculture is searching for a white-collar job, he is saddened. He stated that “I feel sad when I hear that an agriculture graduate is seeking for white-collar job. I see this as a waste of time or misplaced priority”. Adeniran explained that rather than idling away in the name of looking for white-collar jobs that are hardly found; young people should try and look inward and start something, no matter how small. He informed that within a little time time, he had been able to start a company that undertakes the breeding, processing and selling of live goats, sheep and cattle.
He said his interest in this line of business started when he went for the one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in Zamfara State. The agriculturist added that he had worked in a livestock farm dealing with ruminants; and this helped him greatly in what he is presently doing in his company. “As an agriculture graduate, you can move to crop cultivation or livestock breeding, processing and selling. There are other value chains in the agricultural sector, which agriculture graduates can explore”, he emphasised. Talking about the breed of goats he specialises in breeding and where he gets his stock, Adeniran said his stocks are mainly from the Maradi Sokoto and Sahel goats, which are from the north-west part of the country. He added that since he gets his stock directly from the sellers, his prices are cheaper than those, who sell such breeds of goats in Abeokuta and its environs. Adeniran, who shared from his personal experience, disclosed that the business is profitable because the breeding, processing and selling of his goats are done under hygienic environments and there is paddock where the goats feed and get nourished.
Talking about challenges facing the business, the farmer admitted that there are innumerable challenges associated with the business, ranging from long hours of journeys, as well as unexpected death of some of the animals during transit. “This business has its downside. A journey of two days at times may drag on to three or four days, and since it is not normal to feed these ruminants while in transit or give them water, if a truck conveying them breaks down on the road, there will be problems. Some of the goats will die, which is a loss to the owner”, he added. From the above, it can be said that self-medication, sedentary and active lifestyles are human habits that are worth examining. According to medical expert, self-medication is dangerous and people should remember to go for check-ups, examine their blood sugar level, avoid sedentary lifestyle, eat healthy foods, avoid alcohol as much as possible, embrace a good lifestyles, and imbibe the culture of health insurance. Furthermore, a budding entrepreneur has charged our youths to keep themselves busy and start something small that could really grow big despite some challenges that may come along the line.
