The Role of the Media in Promoting Initiatives and Fighting Poverty in Africa

Published on 28th March 2006

Soon after independence, in 1961, the first Tanzanian leader, Father of the Nation Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere outlined ignorance, disease and poverty as key areas the country needed to improve on for it to make independence meaningful. A number of government strategies, programmes, and projects were aligned towards addressing the three problems. However, due to various challenges, internal and external shocks, and the war to reclaim part of Kagera Region, which eventually led to the ousting of Ugandan dictator Iddi Amin Dada in 1979, Tanzania could not keep the tempo hence losing pace in the war against the three enemies. Of the three, poverty remains at the centre. Today, we are still fighting the same war with about a third of Tanzanians living below a dollar a day (about TSh1, 200).

Highlighting the Status of Poverty in Tanzania incorporates “income” and “non income” human development attributes in defining poverty and categorizes poverty into four groups namely: Income poverty: Current status and recent trends; Non-income poverty; Regional poverty and welfare ranking; and Poverty as assessed by the poor themselves.

Let us briefly ponder over Income Poverty: Current Status and Recent Trends. The assessment of poverty levels and trends is complicated by the lack of consistent information and absence of officially recognized poverty lines. However, a poverty line of one US dollar per day in real terms is nominally used. Based on the 1991/1992 Tanzania’s Household Budget Survey, around 27 per cent of the people were in households whose total expenditure was insufficient to obtain enough food to meet nutritional requirements, and about 48 percent were unable to meet their food and non-food basic requirements.

Whereas some analysts observe that poverty is largely a rural phenomenon, urban dwellers have not escaped effects of poverty, especially those in the informal sector. Age-wise, the youth and the old are more likely to be poor.

Non-income indicators of poverty include education, survival, nutrition and access to clean and safe drinking water. Education plays a major role in strengthening human capabilities and reducing poverty. Government statistics indicate that the poor are more likely to be less educated, a situation condemning them to a vicious circle of poverty.

In 1991 for example, about 54.3 percent of the rural poor were literate, compared to 61 percent for the rural population as a whole. With high infant and under-five children deaths, survival remains a big challenge associated with being poor. With good nutrition, any human being stands to strengthen his or her body’s ability to stand shocks like diseases.

It would be unfair to leave out the poor’s definition of poverty. According to studies by the World Bank (1995) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) conducted in Shinyanga two years later, the poor considered securing land tenure, availability of agricultural inputs, credit and suitable technology, good transport, access to markets, and the potential to save as key aspects in determining poverty levels.

To combat poverty, the governments of East Africa have embarked on several initiatives. The Government (of Tanzania), to begin with, has chosen to accelerate selected reforms which are in different levels of implementation to eradicate poverty. These reforms that complement each other include:

1. Vision 2025 – a national vision of economic and social objectives meant to make Tanzanians live better. It lays out the long-term developmental goals and perspectives, against which the strategy for poverty alleviation (NPES) was formulated.

2. National Poverty Eradication Strategy – a national strategy and objectives for poverty eradication efforts through 2010.

3. Tanzania Assistance Strategy (TAS) – a medium-term national strategy of economic and social development, encompassing joint efforts of Government and the international community covers all the development areas that have characteristically been supported by the international partners, both within and outside the framework of the central Government budget. TAS provides a useful framework for organising periodic consultations and dialogue among all development partners.

4. Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) – is a medium-term strategy of poverty reduction, developed through broad consultation with national and international stakeholders, in the context of the enhanced Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.

5. National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP) commonly known as Mkukuta is a second national organising framework for putting the focus on poverty reduction high on the country’s development agenda. It builds on the PSRP and makes use of the Development Vision (Vision 2025) – visualizing a prosperous Tanzania – as well as attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The NSGRP is expected to last five years, i.e. from 2005/06 to 2009/10, coinciding with the targets of the National Poverty Eradication Strategy (NPES - 2010).

In her efforts to combat poverty, the Government of Kenya subscribed to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) in 2000 and embarked on the preparation of the PRSP at the same time.

In December 2002, the government embarked on preparing an Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS), focusing on reviving the economy and creating employment. The ERS presents a road map for economic recovery for five years. The most recent one is an Investment programme, an economic recovery strategy for wealth and employment creation 2003-2007.

To improve equity and reduce poverty, the program focuses on universal primary education, improved access to basic health, expanded productive capacity in agriculture, development of the hitherto overlooked arid and semi-arid areas, and upgrading the living conditions for urban dwellers that have suffered from poor urban infrastructure and social services mainly due to high urbanization rates.

Uganda, not willing to be left behind, has made substantial progress in social and economic development since the USAID program was revived in 1990, moving from recovery and reconstruction toward sustainable growth and poverty reduction. Nonetheless, significant challenges remain.

As a result of economic reforms, Uganda achieved relatively high economic growth during the 1990s, but growth slowed to 4.9 per cent in 2003 and per capita income is only $330, (Against Tanzania’s $320).

The population living in poverty declined from 56 per cent in 1992 to 38 per cent in 2002.The number of people living on less than a dollar a day remained at 9.5 million in 2003, the same as in 1992, with conflict continuing to affect the poverty level, which remains at 70 per cent in the north. Another 1.4 million people are displaced due to insecurity in the north and east.

To rapidly move forward, Uganda needs to step up efforts to diversify the economy and provide an enabling environment to attract private domestic and foreign investment to achieve and sustain the 7 per cent annual GDP growth needed to meet the poverty reduction goal.

Why mention all these initiatives? Business and economic journalists must get a clear understanding of such initiatives if they are to inform the public correctly. Communication is at the centre of everything a human being does. Information is power. Without it, nothing will move forward. Mankind needs to be informed in order to make a meaningful decision.

A clear understanding of these policy issues would give us an opportunity to evaluate, and provide a forum to experts and the people themselves to constructively criticise whatever is planned for them. We have heard of planners seated in air conditioned rooms planning how to improve living standards of farmers without having been to their places (on the ground), leave alone their involvement. Such up-bottom initiatives – which decide on priorities of certain (target) groups without their getting to know the latter’s priorities – almost inevitably fail. 

When all is said and done, Tanzanians are still poor. The government’s assessment based on different types of poverty (as per respective definitions) indicates that the prevalence of income poverty is still high in Tanzania. According to the Household Budget Survey of 2000/01 the proportion of the population below the national food poverty line is 18.7 percent and that below the national basic needs poverty line is 35.7 percent.  

Comparing these results with those of the Household Budget Survey of 1991/92 there has been a small decline in the proportion of the population below the national poverty lines. Basic needs poverty decreased from 38.6 percent to 35.7 percent and food poverty from 21.6 percent to 18.7 percent.

Poverty remains overwhelming in rural areas where about 87 percent of the poor population lives. It is highest among households who depend on agriculture. Income poverty is closely related to growth in the productive and services sectors. Sector-based constraints precipitate income-poverty to the extent that they limit growth in the sector(s) and hence adversely affect the provision of services that reduce non-income poverty.  

On Non-income Poverty Most indicators in education have registered improvement in the three years of PRSP as a result of implementing the Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP).

Gross Enrolment Rate reached 105.3 percent and 106.3 percent in 2003 and 2004 respectively, compared to only 77.6 percent in 1990. Net Enrolment Rate (NER) attained in 2003 and 2004 is 88.5 percent and 90.5 percent respectively, compared to 58.8 percent in 1990. Challenges of good classrooms alone won’t improve on quality of education. Teachers’ competence, their welfare – among others – are equally important.

After getting a rough idea on the initiatives and challenges surrounding regional efforts in fighting poverty, how can the media intervene? Recently, I read an article entitled Africa’s Bright Outlook not Curbing Poverty, March 3 2006 (Reuters) filed from Dakar, Senegal www.msnbc.msn.com

Let us use these excerpts from the article to establish how  the media can promote and fight poverty. Abdoulaye Bio-Tchane, the IMF Africa Director says that sub-saharan Africa’s regional growth of 5 percent annually is still not enough to reduce biting poverty. This is what is happening in Tanzania at the moment. The trend of economic performance at the macro-level in the past six years has been above 5 per cent. The Tanzanian economy grew by 6.2 percent in 2002, 5.6 percent in 2003 (due to drought that led to reduced food supplies and decreased power supply) and 6.7 percent in 2004/05.

Likewise, the annual inflation rate – the rise in price of goods and services, (or Consumer Price Index (CPI), when too much money chases too few goods on the market) was kept at below 5 per cent, on average. It was at 4.4 percent in 2003 compared to 6 percent in 2000. The rate increased from 4.0 percent in July 2003 to 4.6 percent at the end of March 2004 due to drought and sharp rise in oil prices. However, by November/ December 2004 it reached 4 percent, before it started heading north once again, reaching 5.4 per cent in January 2006.Again, this was due to prolonged drought and sharp rise in oil prices.

The target GDP growth rate for the NSGRP is estimated to be 6 - 8 percent per annum over the period 2005-10. But, policies will be required to ensure that the pattern of growth is pro-poor and benefits at the macro-level are translated into micro-level welfare outcomes.

By registering 6.7 per cent growth rate last year, Tanzania registered the highest rate in the East African region. However, poverty levels remain high. According to then Tanzanian Finance Minister Mr. Basil Mramba (when presenting the National Budget for the current financial year – 2005/06 in June last year), it will take over 20 years of sustained 8 to 10 per cent growth rate for Tanzanians’ poverty levels to ease. So far we are not even there, as the economy is projected to grow at 7.2 per cent by end of this financial year.  With high oil prices and prolonged drought which have led to power rationing, one can only guess when the 20 years countdown to better life will begin.

Bio-Tchane, a former finance minister of Benin continues to say: Governments across the continent had improved economic stability but still needed to do more to attract investments, in particular by tackling corruption. We all know that the international press has not been that kind to Africa. However, some of the bad news we complain about, like corruption, are actually true. In Dar es Salaam for instance, media reports indicate that a Tanzanian envoy in Italy is alleged to have pocketed $2 million (about Tsh2 billion) meant for purchasing embassy premises.

In Kenya, corruption cases ranging from the Goldenberg (fictitious payments for gold exports) scandal, to the Anglo Leasing (passports printing tender) scandal, have been raised by the media. Uganda is not ruled by angels, either. Remember those junk choppers? How  we as media can help our countries get out of such situations is our biggest task/ challenge if we are to boost both local and foreign investment.

The recent Kenya reports on graft which saw three ministers give way is one good example of the role of media in reversing the wheel by, among others, exposing/ tackling corruption which will in turn boost investors’ confidence and eventually improve economic stability. This kind of intervention will make governments keen on whatever they are doing as they will be held accountable for any failures. 

"We should start seeing some results this year, but countries must decide which sectors will benefit from the debt relief," says the senior IMF official. When the G8 nations met in Gleneagles, Scotland last year, they not only approved a proposal to forgive debts for 14 African countries but also agreed to double aid for Africa to $50 billion by 2010. However, what they did not do – which Africans wanted the most – was to put an end to farm export subsidies. Removed, this would allow Africa penetrate the Western and industrial world by at least $300-400 billion a year. The debt cancellation came with conditions such as good governance, accountability and transparency.   

Tanzania has already been forgiven 100 per cent of what it owed the International Monetary Fund before January 2005. This amounted to approximately $336 million (over Sh336 billion), after meeting the Fund’s conditions. More recently, in Dar es Salaam, the AfDB announced that it will give Tanzania $300m in debt relief under the G8 debt cancellation initiative. The bank further announced new funds amounting to $410 million for the year 2006 and 2007.

Hadn’t it been for these cancellations, a substantial amount would have been used for debt servicing. Thus, whatever is ‘saved’ needs to be used strategically.  In the fiscal year 2004/05 for instance, Tanzania used Sh477 billion (about $477 million) for debt servicing. This year, 2005/6, it is expected over Sh500 billion (about $500 million) will be used. This is equivalent to 12.5 per cent of the total Budget estimates. Directed to classroom construction, this would have been enough for over 70, 000 fully furnished classrooms – based on joint Government and Development Partners set standard, where each classroom costs Sh7 million (about $7,000).

By giving platform to experts and the public at large, the media can influence the government in selection of priority areas/ sectors in which the money that would otherwise be used for repaying the debts be invested so as to enable the poor benefit from the cancellation. Soon after it was announced that Tanzania would benefit from the G-8 debt relief initiative for example, economists at the University of Dar es Salaam and from research centers suggested that:

“It would generally be vital to invest in sectors related to social services such as education, water and health.”

“Most Tanzanians would benefit from the relief if the government considers of investing in smallholder agricultural services where the majority of Tanzanians are employed… debt relief funds channeled to this sector is expected to, among other things improve agricultural marketing since marketing of agricultural products is a problem to farmers due to lack of access to markets.” (The Citizen, 2005)

The media can help in the fight against poverty by: highlighting investment opportunities; writing inspirational success stories; disseminating information on national strategies in fighting poverty (e.g Mkukuta, PRSP); influencing policy/ decision-making in favour of identified development strategies; and exposing bad policies/ regulations/ laws that scare investment. These include bureaucracy and restrictions in doing business, cumbersome licensing procedures, complicated tax system, insecurity, corruption and harassment of small businesses.

In addition, the media can enlighten readers on: stock market operations and investment opportunities (e.g. Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange/ Nairobi Stock Exchange/ Uganda Securities Exchange and Unit Trust of Tanzania); market availability (when hunger was looming large in Kenya in 2005, most Tanzanian maize traders opted exporting their products to Kenya following media reports on high prices); weather forecast for crop production. (eg. drought or disease resistant crops); and the need for access to capital.

The media can also reduce the digital divide between rural and urban areas hence fighting rural poverty with accessible and meaningful information and communication technologies such as radio, television, computers, satellite, mobile phones and the Internet.

Lastly, let us examine ourselves. Are we playing our part as we should be? Are we doing enough? If not, why? An online survey by BBC (World Service) conducted in November 2004 to assess the public's awareness of and interest in poverty in developing countries, and the extent to which the media is helping to inform them suggested that people want more information about global poverty. A large majority of survey respondents wanted more information about global poverty and do not think the media is doing enough to inform them. They highlighted a widespread lack of knowledge of the Millennium Development Goals. Although they had a strong appetite for more information on global poverty, they were dissatisfied with the media in providing them with this information.

The snapshot survey of over 8,500 people worldwide showed that: 72% of respondents had never heard of the Millennium Development Goals - the international community's targets to halve poverty by 2015. 86% said there was not enough or too little media coverage of poverty in developing countries, 10% saying there was enough and 3% saying the coverage was too much.

The online vote took place on the eve of an event, “Towards 2005: What Role Does the Media Play in the Fight against Global Poverty.”

Now back to our query. Are we playing our part as we should? If not, why? 

Excerpted from a paper presented by Bakari Machumu, Business Editor The Citizen Newspaper (Tanzania) at the East Africa Media Training conference, Pan Afric hotel, Nairobi on March 15-17 2006.


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