What are examples of social amenities in Nigeria?
In this blog post we’re going to be looking at social amenities in Nigeria as well as listing some examples of social amenities.
[boomdevs_toc]
What Are Social Amenities?
Social amenities are things or services that are provided for the people or the populace.
This adds value to their daily lives, solves problems, and is also for their comfort.
So that’s basically what we mean by social amenities.
Why are Social Amenities Important?
Social amenities are important because they solve problems for people. They also add value to people’s lives.
Social amenities are things that the people, most times, cannot provide for themselves.
Who Provides These Social Amenities?
Social amenities are provided by the government or people at the helm of affairs.
They are the responsibilities of these people who represent the populace in government.
In Nigeria, these basic amenities are the basic responsibility of the government.
So we will go ahead to give examples of Social Amenities in Nigeria
12 Examples Of Social Amenities in Nigeria
Schools
Schools are places of formal learning. People receive formal education in schools.
Schools are one of the important examples of social amenities in Nigeria.
The opportunity or the possibilities of education are limitless
An educated person is an asset to himself, his community and the country at large.
Schools are provided for by the government.
In Nigeria, schools range from nursery to primary, secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
In as much as we have Private schools as well and Mission schools, the government schools are also very important.
This is because they are generally cheaper and also have good quality which cannot be gotten in some other private institutions.
Hospitals
Hospitals are places where people with sicknesses or other medical issues go and are treated for their conditions.
Hospitals are among the necessary examples of social amenities in Nigeria
In Nigeria, the health care system is made up of the primary health centers, the secondary health care and the tertiary health care system.
Tertiary health care includes the teaching hospitals, the federal medical centers and other specialist hospitals like the National Orthopaedic Hospitals and Psychiatric Hospitals.
Secondary health care includes the general hospitals, while the primary healthcare includes the primary health centers.
The government is also involved at these 3 stages.
Primary health centers are basically set up by the government.
In secondary health care, the General Hospitals are the responsibilities of the state governments.
Then in tertiary health care, the Teaching Hospital are under the Federal Ministry of Health, which means they are the responsibility of the federal government.
This makes it possible for people to get health care at a cheaper rate compared to what they would have gotten if it were left just to private hospitals.
It also makes it possible to get good facilities or the attention of specialists such as we have in teaching hospitals where there are many specialists in one place.
Police Stations
Police restore order, law and order in the society.
They help to fight crime and make sure that people abide by the rules of society.
When we talk about social amenities, police stations are built all over the country in different states, different local governments and different towns.
This makes it possible for people to live their lives free as much as possible from crime.
Policing is not a responsibility of individuals.
It is one of the social amenities that is provided by the government.
Road Networks
There are different means of transportation in Nigeria. This include air, land and sea.
However, the most common means of transportation is by road.
People walk on roads. People ride bicycles or motorcycles on roads.
People even drive tricycles.
People drive vehicles, buses, trucks on roads.
Roads are an important means of transportation.
They also serve as an important means of conveying of goods from one location or parts of the country to another.
The government’s responsibility is to fix or to build roads and make sure the roads are adequately maintained so that people can have their movements from one place to the other, seamlessly and free from challenges.
When the roads are dilapidated or not maintained, transportation by road becomes difficult, and affects the people negatively.
Fire Service
Fire is a hazard which we face regularly.
It cannot occur at any time.
However, during the dry season, cases of fire outbreaks become increased.
The fire service is created by the government.
It is a social amenity available to the people such that if there are fire outbreaks, they can be called upon to help put out these fires.
Fire outbreaks can occur anyway, such as the home, the hospital, the market, offices and so on.
Why do these fire outbreaks occur?
It is important that the fire services are well maintained.
There should be water and their trucks should be serviceable so that they are able to discharge their effectively.
Post Offices
Post offices have been in Nigeria for a while now.
The essence of a post office is to deliver people’s letters and packages from one location to the other in the country.
People also receive mails or letters from other countries and get to them through the post office.
The post offices in Nigeria are manned by the Nigerian Postal Service.
It is one of the important social amenities to the people.
If you will compare the cost of delivery of mails by some other companies such as DHL and FedEx, you will agree with me that the post offices still remain a viable, cheaper alternative than these other companies.
Public Libraries
People need libraries where they get access to books as well as where they can go and read without distractions or disturbance.
The libraries are also a good aspect of social amenities that are provided for the people.
In the libraries, people can access latest materials regarding their course of study.
Some libraries even offer free internet services.
In Nigeria states, some states have State libraries while you also have some National libraries that are maintained by the federal government.
This gives people the opportunity to go and read and to also access academic materials that will enhance their learning.
Parks and Other Recreational Facilities
All work and no play, they say, makes Jack a dull boy.
From time to time people need to go and relax and unwind from the stress of the day, week or the month’s activities.
So the parks are one of the social amenities that are created by people by the government.
Here people go to relax and unwind, sit down and and just enjoy nature.
They also have time to talk with friends or family members.
At the end of the day they are refreshed and can go back to their activities.
Children friendly recreational centers are provided too, where children can also go and enjoy themselves.
Stadiums
One of the social amenities that government is involved in is in the area of sports.
They provide facilities where people go and engage in these sporting activities.
Some of these sports activities include football, athletics, track and field events.
The government provides stadiums and the fields such that people can go and train themselves.
When people are properly trained, they can be able to compete both locally and internationally.
Markets and Shopping Facilities
Markets are important in our day to day activities.
This is where people go to buy things that they need both for themselves and their families.
Nobody has everything he needs by himself.
He has to go to the market and use money as a medium of exchange in order to purchase what he wants.
Markets are basically created by the government.
They are the ones that determine where the market should be cited so that it will be good for everybody.
Markets have to be cited in a good location that is accessible to many people as well as where there will not be traffic concerns.
They also need to be cited where it is safe for both the traders and the customers that are coming to buy from the market.
When people have markets close to them, it becomes possible for them to go and buy things that they need and continue with their daily living.
Banks
Banks are another important social amenity that are provided for the people.
In fact, you cannot do without listing banks as examples of social amenities in Nigeria.
Banks are where people go to make their financial transactions.
Here, they can pay money, receive or withdraw money.
They can also pay for some bills or services.
Banks in Nigeria are regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
This is the Apex Bank.
They create the rules and regulations by which the banks will operate.
Electricity
Electricity is a very important social amenity.
You need electricity for so many things.
Some of the things we need electricity for include illumination of our homes, to operate appliances such as television, radio; also we need electricity to keep the fridge and deep freezers cold so that the food inside them will not get bad.
Electricity is also needed by industries.
In Nigeria, the electricity is under the electricity distribution companies.
What Are The Challenges of Social Amenities in Nigeria?
Do we really have these social amenities in Nigeria?
Availability
Nigeria has a population of over 200 million people.
The amenities are not enough to satisfy everyone
For instance, when we talk of schools, the number of tertiary institutions relative to the number of people seeking admission is not optional.
Institutions generally have cut off marks which someone must meet in order to have any hope of being admitted their preferred course of study.
But we have to write them over and over again before they get admission to universities because of limited space.
So this makes the cutoff marks to be high in many departments. Not everybody is eventually able to get admission into the tertiary institutions.
Maintenance
Maintenance is a big problem in this Nigeria.
For example, roads. Many roads are not properly maintained and after a while they start breaking down.
They will also have potholes that make it difficult for people to make proper use of the roads.
Conclusion
Social amenities are things that make life easier for people and they are provided by the government for the people.
They need to be maintained or put into good use so that they will last long and they will be able to serve the people in the way they should.
Leave a Reply