[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he rate of teenage pregnancy in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria is becoming so alarming and until something is done, the next 20-50 years will become uncontrollable.
Any anonymous said, “Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, in my analysis, is fairly not a conducive environment to raise children, especially female children. Personal observation reveals a high incidence of pregnancy among under age girls.” The trend is correlated in a number of factors, viz:
1. Parental neglect
2. High rate of poverty
3. Non enforcement of compulsory basic education
4. Low level of awareness on girl child education
5. The menace of street children
6. Breakdown in moral and religious values
7. Widespread sexual promiscuity
8. Low level of awareness on sex education and use of condom
9. Ineffective social and economic integration at the local government level.
If the trend is not checked, in the next 50 years, Calabar South Local Government Area will account for 45.78 Per cent of the total population in Cross River State and 15.82 Per cent of the Nation’s total.
The implication of this is that with the current low level of education in the study area, the local government will be the hotbed and breeding ground for violent criminals, and this will definitely give rise to high crime rate in Calabar in particular and Cross River State in general.
To avert the foregoing, governments at both the state and local level should urgently come up with a holistic plan to develop the local government area, educationally, economically, socially, culturally and morally. Girl child education must be given particular attention. As and when possible, free and compulsory education for all must be aggressively pursued and practicalised, up to senior secondary level.
Regular workshops, seminars, symposia and talk shows should be organised for parents to enlighten them on how best to bring up children in a rapidly challenging and evolving world so as to guarantee a solid future for them.
Oh yeah, Calabar South to Nigeria and the World has a spot in the bullseye, but with routine education, that showboating will be far forgotten.
Education holds the key to developing the society. Once the parents, the society, the youths and the children are sensitised, the rate of teenage pregnancy will reduce and gradually go into limbo, then fades away.
Also, the children must be taken out of the streets; given Entrepreneurial and skills acquisition. Threaded with knowledge of sex education and Reproductive health as well as building the States’ economy.
All these are few observations and possible solutions to the menace of teenage pregnancy in Calabar South, many can be done to salvage the situation at hand and bring a lift to the area.