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Tag: poverty

  • Calls to end poverty, cycle of women’s abuse heighten

    Calls to end poverty, cycle of women’s abuse heighten

    • Stakeholders demand financial architecture and digital tech reforms to drive gender equality

    After two weeks of high-level deliberations on issues affecting women’s socio-economic emancipation and the recurring violence against women and girls at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU reports that the 68th session of the Commission on the Status (CSW68) ended with delegates’ consensus on reforming financial architecture, digital technology and strengthening institutions to end women’s and girls’ poverty

    The background

    Over 50 edicts that suppress the rights of women and girls have been issued by the Taliban in Afghanistan. In Sudan, scores of women have reportedly been subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence in the ongoing conflict. There are also horrific accounts in the report by the United Nations Special Representative to Israel, Pramila Patten of sexual violence against women and girls and indications of sexualised torture during the terror attacks launched by Hamas and other armed groups on October 7; as well as shocking testimonies of sexual violence against Palestinian women in detention settings, house raids and checkpoints in the occupied territory. It also indicated that more than two-thirds of the tens of thousands of people killed and injured during Israel’s military operations in Gaza were reportedly women and children.

    In Nigeria, at least 1,400 students (mostly girls) have been kidnapped from schools since the 2014 incident involving 276 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram Terrorists. Women and girls have continued to bear the brunt of armed violence with horrendous tales of rape and sexual exploitation of victims filling public spaces daily.

    The world over, conflict and crisis are increasing; with a devastating impact on women and girls. Despite evidence that women’s full participation makes peacebuilding more effective, the number of women in decision-making roles has continued to plummet.

    It is against this backdrop that how to end the poverty of women and girls, stop all forms of violence and discrimination against them and also restructure financial systems, digital technology algorithms and the renewable energy sector was the crux of the United Nations (UN) 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68th) held in New York, USA.

    The two-week high-level deliberations which brought together two Heads of State, three vice presidents, over 100 ministers and 4,800 Civil Society Organisation (CSO) representatives described as worrisome the rising cases of discrimination against women and girls in many parts of the world.

    With approximately 270 side events organised by member states, inter-governmental organisations and UN entities; as well as over 760 parallel events held by civil society and youth-led organisations, this year’s CSW, recorded as the second highest attendance since its establishment in February 1947, agreed that women and girls were the worst hit in the turbulence the world is currently going through.

    The issues

    Setting the pace for the discussions, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, at the opening ceremony, revealed that the latest statistics showed 10.3 per cent of women were living in multi-dimensional poverty; calling for intentional reforms and investments in women and girls.

    “Our world is going through turbulent times, and women and girls are being hit hard.  In conflict zones around the globe, women and girls are suffering most from wars waged by men…

    “The facts are clear: women lead to peace.  Budgets and policies must follow with ambitious targets for women’s participation and urgent investments in women’s peacebuilding.

    Many women and girls are also facing a war on their fundamental rights at home and in their communities. Hard-fought progress is being reversed. Women’s rights are fundamentally a question of power, and I see two deeply worrying trends.

    “Despite the enormous progress which all of you have helped to realise, patriarchy is far from vanquished.  It is regaining ground.  Autocrats and populists are attacking women’s freedoms and their sexual and reproductive rights.  They promote what they call “traditional” values.

    And patriarchy is, indeed, an age-old tradition.

    “Discrimination against women goes back millennia. We don’t want to bring it back,” Guterres said.

    According to him, it was time for governments; civil society and the Silicon Valley of the world to join a massive effort to bridge the digital gender divide and ensure women have decision-making roles in digital technology at all levels.

    “This is one of the main goals of the Global Digital Compact that will be central to the Summit of the Future in September.

    “Your gathering this year is focused on tackling poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective are critical to accelerating gender equality.

    “The reason is simple: Globally, poverty has a female face.  Women have less access to land, natural resources and financial assets.  They suffer the impacts of climate change more than men, and they are more likely to be food insecure,” he said.

    The UN boss noted that the world was failing to invest in women and girls, adding that the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, mounting debt, climate-related disasters and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis were shrinking the pie even more.

    Read Also: Why we did not recover $69.4 million electricity debt, by NBET

    “We will not solve today’s challenges by relying on a global financial system that helps perpetuate inequality.

    I am therefore calling for an SDG Stimulus that would provide $500 billion annually in affordable long-term finance for developing countries. The proposal includes a debt lifeline to create breathing space for countries facing impossible repayment schedules.

    “Leaders endorsed the Stimulus at last year’s SDG Summit.  I urge all countries to support these efforts to increase the investments that will achieve SDG 5 on gender equality and turbocharge progress across the entire 2030 agenda.

    “At the national level, governments are responsible for investing in ending poverty and achieving inclusive, sustainable development for all. That takes budgets and taxes that address the specific needs of impoverished women and girls.

    “Governments must recognise the key economic role of unpaid care work, with policies that support both mothers and fathers to take paid work outside the home.  They should ensure that their climate policies, including a just and equitable transition to renewable energy, boost employment opportunities for women and improve access to goods and services for women and girls.

    “They must do more to prevent the global scourge of violence against women and girls and end the abomination of female genital mutilation. Equal rights for women and girls depend on ending violence and abuse against them.

    “The Commission on the Status of Women catalyses the transformation we need.  At this difficult and divided moment, let’s work together to end poverty in all its dimensions. Let’s do it by investing in women and girls, betting on women and girls and pushing for peace and dignity for women and girls everywhere,” he said.

    Gender equality is a fundamental human right

    In her keynote presentation at the Africana Women Working Group event whose theme was “Accelerating the achievement for gender equality and empowerment of women by women: implication on poverty and strengthening institutions,” held at the UN Delegates’ Dining room, The First Lady of Bahamas, Anne Marie Davis, emphasised her country’s dedication to gender equality and her role as a champion for the empowerment and protection of women, girls, and vulnerable communities.

    Recognising gender equality as a fundamental human right, Davis stressed the urgent need for collective responsibility to address inequalities, calling for shared responsibility to tackle the matter.

    She highlighted how women’s empowerment could trigger social and economic development, noting that   societies were yet to tap into their potential

    “We find ourselves at a pivotal moment in history where recognising gender equality as a fundamental right is more than a moral obligation. It is a strategic need. Women’s empowerment is a catalyst for social and economic achievement, and we must use it to move all our nations ahead.

    “Empowering women involves not only empowering individuals, but families, communities and even nations, as we heard here this morning. Women are fundamental to every pocket of our societies, but our potential remains largely untouched. There are still too many areas that we need improvement in,” she said.

    Davis also stressed the need for institution strengthening by removing gender-based discrimination, supporting equal pay, and promoting women-led enterprises. She reiterated the importance of investing in women’s skill development and education to ensure their active involvement in the workplace and economy.

    She identified political empowerment as a ‘critical driver’ of institutional strength while advocating for greater representation of women in decision-making bodies at all levels of government.

    “When women engage in decision-making at all levels of government, policies represent a wide range of viewpoints, needs and goals of everyone, an entire cross-section, not just of a certain few. But we recognise that there is so much work to be done locally and globally. Davis emphasised the role of the UN in encouraging dialogue, sharing best practices, and mobilising resources to support initiatives that empower women and girls economically, socially, and politically.

    She said: “So, while we work together on gender equality at a national level in our respective countries, it is critical to know the value of international cooperation. The difficulties we face are global and so the answers must be collaborating.

    “The United Nations plays an important role in encouraging dialogue, sharing best practices, and mobilising resources to accelerate progress towards gender equality. And as I said earlier in my speech, provincial resources are critical for enacting gender-responsive policies and services…”

    No more rhetoric

     UN Coordinator, Africana Women Working Group, Prof. Adaeze Menakaya, stressed the need to prioritise interest rather than the continuous rhetoric.

    “What do we want? If women stand up today with one voice, that is our priority. Look at what happened in Liberia, women came together and the war came to an end. So we are talking about the priority to stop this cankerworm that is happening with women.

    “Till today, women are dying; widows’ rights are being taken away. The children and women are suffering. Women in the office cannot be promoted; you cannot go further because you are a woman.

    “Gender inequalities, gender balances and imbalances, gender emotions, gender character…these are all-inclusive and we are talking about the 2030 development agenda with six years to go into the end of the 2030 agenda.

    “So, we need to stand up to our priorities. Prioritise our issues, put an end to these global cankerworms and let women be dignified just like how God created us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made and nothing fashioned against us shall prosper. We stand out on the ground to say enough is enough. Our priorities stand right now,” she said.

    The First Female African-American Archbishop in the U.S., Her Eminence Mary Floyd Palmer, chronicled the challenges women had overcome, from gaining the right to vote to facing poverty and inequalities.

    Palmer expressed concerns about the lack of wisdom and unity in the current generation, emphasising the need for women to support and uplift each other.

    “In many countries around the world, we may not even be considered a part of the population of what matters…Now we have a whole generation that doesn’t seem to know what they’re doing. Our children are no less than 15 years younger than us. Our grandchildren are 30 years younger than us and our great-grandmas are sexier than our youngest grandchild.

    “We don’t seem to have wisdom. We don’t want to hear nothing from anybody with just a little bit of gray hair,” she said.

    The Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs and Children of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi reminded the women it was time to take actions that would leave lasting legacies for the future.

    Using the Renewed Hope initiative of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu as an example, Benjamins-Laniyi explained how they were turning the lives of rural and low-income women in the FCT around.

    “It’s about positioning women first to impact their communities. So you don’t need to do it with a speech, but you need to do it with a lifestyle impacting every other lifestyle.

    “Today, every woman must recognise that in closing gaps, you are dealing with the gaps. You need the courage to confront whatever the gap is around you.  It may not end with you, but begin it. Step into it and raise with you a community of gap closures.

    “You and I must make that representation affordable, available, accessible, sustainable, and scalable and you know what? Make it clean.

    “You are the only weapon that we can use either against ourselves or to go far in life.

    And this weapon is our love. “Love the other woman, love another woman. But best of all, be that woman that other women can love,” she said at the Women Development in Urban and Rural Communities side event organised by Betneely Charity Foundation.

     Women’s access to clean energy

    The President of Women in Energy Network, Mrs. Eyono Fatayi Williams, who also spoke at the Betneely Charity Foundation’s event said developing women through SDG7 (affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all) meant a more inclusive and sustainable bundle of developmental opportunities for ready and willing women.

    “Women are disproportionately affected by energy poverty with the lack of access to clean and affordable energy and this impact will withhold education and economic opportunities,” she said.

    Mrs Williams argued that inclusive policy changes were required to cater to the peculiar needs of women in urban and rural areas.

    She called for policies that are gender-sensitive, and gender-inclusive and that address the challenges and blockers which make it difficult for women to access the opportunities for development in the energy sector.

    “Energy access is crucial for women’s development in urban and rural areas. Interventions can be on a national, sub-national or local council level while NGOs and other development partners also have a role to play, individuals have a role to play; you can sponsor a community or a cluster of women.

    Making a virtual contribution to the discussions, the Mandate Secretary for Health and Environmental Services of the FCT, Dr Dolapo Fasawe said: “Women in developing countries have been known to be the ones responsible for getting water for the family. With their certification, they have to go far and wide looking for resources to keep the family going.”

    A voice for rural women and girls

    The Founder of Betneely Charity Foundation, Dr Betty Olutunde emphasised the need for equal access to justice and the elimination of all forms of violence against women in rural areas who she said faced even more challenges than those in urban areas.

    In rural areas, this can be achieved through initiatives like promoting education and electricity for girls and providing sanitation, improving access to healthcare, said Olutunde.

    “Peace, justice and strong institutions are keys to promoting the development of women in Africa, in many African countries, women face discrimination and inequality in both urban and rural areas.

    “Weak institutions often make it difficult to implement policies that would improve women’s lives,” she said.

    The President of Defence and Police Officers’ Wives’ Association, (DEPOWA), Mrs Oghogho Musa highlighted some of the interventions the organisation had embarked upon.

    She said: “DEPOWA under my leadership has conducted cervical cancer screening for over 500 women.

    To help improve our women’s personal effectiveness and productivity, DEPOWA organised a two-day personal visioning and planning workshop to help participants create a clear and specific vision for their future.

    “The goal was to help them gain clarity about what they want to achieve and how they can make their vision a reality. One hundred women participated in that workshop…”

     Agreed outcomes

    To meet the 2030 deadline to end women and girls’ poverty, stakeholders agreed that there was need to work 26 times faster.

    The Commission recognised that women and girls living in poverty become ‘shock absorbers’ in times of crisis and that further efforts were needed to increase resources to address their poverty.

    Acknowledging that the international financial architecture was not fit for a crisis-prone world, the Commission called for reforms to enable countries to mobilise and invest resources in gender equality. These measures include debt relief and progressive taxation and ensuring that public resources were allocated to address the needs and rights of women and girls.

    Also recommended were the mobilisation of financial resources from public and private sources; strengthening the international financial architecture; ensuring a gender lens in national budgeting processes, and preventing regressive taxation that disproportionately impacts women and girls with low or no income.

    The outcome document also noted that official development assistance must be increased to address women’s and girls’ poverty.

    The Commission called for the implementation of gender-responsive economic and social policies, including increased women’s representation, leadership and participation in economic institutions, enforcing core labour standards to ensure equal pay for work of equal value, and implementing policies to support women-owned businesses.

    It recommended the engagement and financing of women’s organisations, adding that robust, flexible and multi-year financing for locally-led feminist movements and women’s rights organisations was critical to addressing poverty, as proven by existing mechanisms such as the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women and the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund.

    The need to strengthen national capacities to collect and use disaggregated data on multidimensional poverty, and to adopt new development strategies towards sustainable economies was also brought to the fore.

    These include strengthening inclusive and gender-responsive social protection systems and scaling up investment in the care economy to reduce women’s time and income poverty and expand their employment opportunities.

  • ‘88.4m people in Nigeria living in extreme poverty’

    ‘88.4m people in Nigeria living in extreme poverty’

    Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Temitope Fadeshemi, yesterday said 88.4 million people in Nigeria are living in extreme poverty.

    He spoke in Kaduna during the distribution of farm input and empowerment materials to 250 smallholder farmers.

    Represented by Director, Department of Extension Services of the ministry, Bashir Abdulkadir, the Perm. Sec. said: “The level of poverty in Nigeria is alarming. An estimated population of 88.4 million in Nigeria is living in extreme poverty.

    ”The number of men living on less than $1.90 a day in the country reached around 44.7 million, while the count was at 43.7 million for women.

    ”Overall, 12.9 per cent of the global population in extreme poverty was found in Nigeria as of 2022.

    ”This is why the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, in collaboration with FMAFS, is making conscious efforts at reducing the spate of poverty across the country.”

    The gestures of distributing farm input and empowerment materials were extended to the farmers under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS).

    According to Fadeshemi, the event marked a significant milestone in the Federal Government’s collective commitment to uplifting the lives of smallholder farmers and fostering sustainable agricultural practices.

    ”I am delighted to remind you that NPRGS, in collaboration with the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension Service (FDAE), has diligently enumerated and validated approximately 250 farmers for participation in this transformative programme.

    ”These farmers are not just the backbone of our agricultural sector; they are the heartbeat that forms the heartbeat of our nation’s prosperity.

    ”The NPRGS reflects our government’s dedication to addressing poverty at its roots, emphasising the pivotal role agriculture plays in economic growth and development.

    ”Through initiatives like today’s training and empowerment programme, we are sowing the seeds of positive change, ensuring that smallholder farmers have the knowledge, resources, and support needed to thrive in an ever-evolving agricultural landscape,” he said.

    Fadeshemi said that the programme was not merely an investment in agriculture; but an investment in the future of the nation.

    He said: “As we equip these farmers with the tools to enhance productivity, improve resilience, and embrace sustainable practices, we are laying the foundation for a more resilient and prosperous agricultural sector.

    ”I commend the efforts of the FDAE for their meticulous work in identifying and validating deserving farmers for this programme.

    ”The collaboration between our Ministry and the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) exemplifies the power of synergy in achieving meaningful impact.

    Read Also: Fed Govt targets $2.5b opportunities in green economy     

    ”To the participating farmers, I say this: your role is paramount in shaping the trajectory of our nation’s agricultural success.

    ”As you undergo this training and empowerment journey, absorb the knowledge, hone your skills, and apply the insights gained to elevate your farms and communities.”

    According to the permanent secretary, the success of the farmers is intertwined with the prosperity of the nation, adding” together, we shall create a ripple effect that reaches every corner of our beloved country.

    ”Let us embrace this opportunity to build a future where smallholder farmers are not just beneficiaries of progress but active contributors to our nation’s growth.

     ”With determination, collaboration, and a shared vision, we can transform challenges into opportunities and empower our agricultural sector to lead the way towards a more resilient and prosperous Nigeria.

    ”It is my hope that this program may be the catalyst for a brighter, more bountiful future for all.”

    State Coordinator of the ministry, Dr Timkat Nanfa, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for counting the state worthy to be part of the beneficiaries of the programme.

    He urged the participants to make good use of the empowerment, saying inputs will help them in their farm operations and also fight poverty.

    He listed the items as; 175 bags of organic fertilizers, 175 sprayers, 65 bags of maize seeds bags and 71 bags of rice seeds.

    Others were: 14 tins of tomato seeds, 14 tins of pepper seeds, Okra seeds tins, 1,000 poultry chicks, 40 bags of poultry feeds and 50 bags of fish feeds, among others.

  • Fed govt committed to acting on poverty, unemployment – Minister

    Fed govt committed to acting on poverty, unemployment – Minister

    The Federal Government has said it is committed to taking immediate action to tackle poverty and unemployment.

    Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha said this during a meeting with top officials of the ministry in Abuja.

    She urged the ministry’s leadership to adopt a private sector-driven approach, emphasising efficiency and productivity in fulfilling the ministry’s objectives.

    In a statement on Saturday by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister, Emameh Gabriel, she said there was a need for a result-oriented approach within the ministry akin to that found in the private sector.

    Onyejeocha said the shift was essential to fulfilling the proposed achievements outlined in President Bola Tinubu’s eight-point agenda.

    Read Also; Tinubu’s quest for living wage for Nigerian workers: 37 to the rescue

    She said: “We need concrete results that demonstrate the effectiveness of our programmes. Business as usual won’t cut it. We must work as people in the private sector; focused, accountable, and results-oriented. We are currently engaging development partners.”

    The minister emphasised the ministry’s crucial role in achieving the President’s agenda, aligning with six of its eight points.

    She said: “At the end of every week, I would like to have the report of every department. I have never been in the last position and I don’t want to find myself there. Everybody will fail when the Ministry of Labour cannot account for the people we took out of the street and employed.

    “The ministry is committed to taking immediate action to tackle poverty and unemployment. We will hold the Head of every department accountable for the achievements outlined in the president’s agenda.  

  • Shakarau to FG: make poverty eradication centre-piece of national devt

    Shakarau to FG: make poverty eradication centre-piece of national devt

    A former governor of Kano state, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau has called on the federal government to adopt poverty eradication as the centre piece of its national development agenda.

    Shekarau made the call in his presentation as a keynote speaker at the 5th Annual Conference of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Alumni Association (Nigeria Chapter) tagged: Nigeria’s Social Economic Conditions: Realities and Remedies.”

    The Emir of Keffi, Nasarawa state, Shehu Chindo Yamusa III, the president, IIUM Alumni in Nigeria Chapter, Professor Bashiru Adeniyi Omipidan and director, IIUM Alumni Relations Division, Dr. Illmyzat Bin Ismail also partook in the virtual event.

    Shekarau said the call has become necessary to ameliorate the current harsh socio-economic conditions confronting Nigerians.

    He noted that socio-economic conditions determine the well-being of citizens because it shows exactly how citizens fare in terms of income, safety and security, jobs, access to health care facilities, education and electricity among others.

    Shekarau who was represented at the occasion by a renowned economist, Dr Muhammad Sagagi, however, insisted that Nigeria’s socio-economic condition is poor.

    Shekarau said: “We must recognize that Nigeria does not, despite the vast resources that we have, we must accept that Nigeria has no fiscal resources that are required to develop the country and therefore you have to leverage on private sector resources, skills, and technology.

    “This can be achieved through business environment reforms to attract private investment.

    “The third aspect of your strategy is that governments at all levels must pay attention to eradication of poverty, inequality and joblessness.

    “Economic growth by itself would not trickle down to the bottom of the pyramid without concerted efforts.

    “You cannot expect this to trickle down to the bottom of the pyramid. Nigeria must design a robust redistribution programme efficient enough to tackle the problems of poverty, and joblessness.

    “Also, a serious country that has poverty of this magnitude must adopt poverty eradication, at the centerpiece of its development.

    “What does that mean? That means that economic performance will be measured by the number of jobs that you create, and the number of people that you lift out of poverty every year.”

    In his remarks, the President of IIUM Alumni Association (Nigeria Chapter), Professor Bashiru Adeniyi Omipidan,
    expressed hope that Nigeria will speedily come out of the current economic challenges.

    He said the conference was meant to create a networking opportunity for about 800 IIUM Nigeria Alumni members and over 118,000 Alumni across the world.

    He said the event was also meant to contribute to finding solutions to intractable economic challenges confronting the country.

    On his part, the Emir of Keffi appealed to wealthy Nigerians to make positive contributions to long-term sustainable peace and development by working directly with people affected by humanitarian crises.

    He said the principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence are fundamental to human and humanitarian actions, adding that humanity means that human suffering must be addressed wherever it is found, with particular attention to the most vulnerable.

    According to the Emir of Keffi, “We should enforce policies and social protection system for youths and women.

    “Women are less likely to have access to social protections, like pensions, unemployment benefits, maternity protections, and equal pay.

    “For our youth, empowerment is important because empowerment means that people are equal citizens. They are respected and confident in their communities.

    “You can empower someone to act or make someone empowered. It is about ways of working and supporting someone that means they can take control or responsibility for their own lives.”

  • 2024 Budget: Edu decries zero allocation to Poverty Eradication Trust Fund

    2024 Budget: Edu decries zero allocation to Poverty Eradication Trust Fund

    The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Beta Edu, yesterday decried what she called zero allocation to the newly created Humanitarian and Poverty Eradication Trust Fund by the Federal Government.

    She said the allocation to her ministry in the proposed 2024 budget was not enough to fight poverty in the country.

    Edu spoke when she appeared before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to defend the proposed 2024 budget of the ministry.

    The minister said her ministry was given an overhead ceiling of N532.5 billion, representing 28 per cent increase over the 2023 budget, to cushion the effects of inflation.

    She said: “Something very serious was omitted. If you followed the news closely, the President, who is the Chairman of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), recently approved the creation of Humanitarian and Poverty Eradication Trust Fund.

    “This trust fund is expected to have contributions from the Federal Government’s 30 per cent counterpart funding, which is supposed to come from donor agencies, as well as development partners…

    “We have been engaging massively for these funds to come into Nigeria to support the implementation of programmes, which we will be implementing with you at the front burner by reaching out to your constituents.

    “However, Nigeria needs to put its own part of the bargain on the table. This would be, not just an attraction to those who are supposed to be bringing in the other percentage but it will serve as a lighter to reach the poor and indeed eradicate poverty from our country.”

    The Senate Committee on Information yesterday frowned at the N1 billion proposed for the Ministry of Information and National Orientation as capital allocation in the 2024 budget.

    The Chairman of the committee, Kenneth Eze (APC, Ebonyi Central), said this when the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, appeared before the committee to defend the ministry’s 2024 budget.

    Also, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, has stressed the need for continuous scrutiny and refinement of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

    This, he said, would ensure its attunement to the evolving dynamics of the global energy landscape and the specificities of the Nigerian context.

    In his presentation before the committee, Malagi said: “It is the desire of the ministry to have a big national conversation around our values and attitudes re-orientation so that Nigeria will, at least, rediscover its self and reclaim some of those values that have been eroded over the years so that we can have a better country for all of us.

    Read Also: Kaduna bombing: Tinubu’s daughter visits victims, donates N5m to injured survivors

    “We also desire the launch of the National and International branding campaign for us to highlight and showcase Nigeria’s immense natural and cultural resources.

    “We are also going to convene and coordinate regular press briefings and media engagements for cabinet members and other senior government officials to avail Nigerians of what various ministries and agencies are doing so that Nigerians will be carried along on what the projects and programmes of government are.

    “We also intend to invest resources in modernising the Federal Government information and communication management and regulatory system across the agencies, for example, NAN, NTA, FRCN, among others,” he said.

    Responding, Eze said: “This is not a budget that can be visible, if we are telling our story as a country.

    “There is no way we can go far. You have a great initiative on how you are going to transform the country in the area of information. I wonder how you are going to do that with this so little fund.”

    Speaking at the committee’s inaugural meeting yesterday in Abuja, Ado-Doguwa said: “The enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act by the Ninth Assembly was a watershed moment, signaling a new dawn of reform intended to revitalise an industry that is the lifeblood of our economy.”

    He called for the collaboration of all stakeholders within the industry to drive the development of the sector.

  •  When dogs feed better than humans

     When dogs feed better than humans

    Sir: A paradoxical reality has emerged, challenging the very fabric of societal values and priorities. A disconcerting trend has taken root, one that raises eyebrows and questions the essence of progress. Here, it is not uncommon to witness a stark incongruity between the treatment of our four-legged friends and that of fellow citizens. In a bizarre twist of fate, dogs seem to be living a life of luxury, enjoying meals of opulence, while many humans struggle to secure their daily bread.

    The rise of specialty pet stores offering a wide array of premium dog food and accessories is a testament to this growing trend. In this new Nigeria, dog dish has become a symbol of excess, with options ranging from organic, gluten-free meals to gourmet treats imported from exotic locales.

    Yet, pervasive issue of hunger looms large over the human population. Reports of families struggling to put food on the table, children going to bed with empty stomachs, and communities grappling with the harsh realities of poverty have become all too common. In this paradoxical landscape, the juxtaposition of well-fed dogs and hungry humans speaks volumes about the prevailing disparities and the moral quandaries facing society. The choices made by some to indulge their pets while fellow citizens suffer underscore a moral crisis that demands introspection.

    In Nigeria, societal values seem to have transformed, with conspicuous consumption taking precedence over empathy and social responsibility. The conspicuous display of affluence through pampered pets reflects a mind-set where individual gratification outweighs the community’s collective well-being. It raises crucial questions about the role of compassion, empathy, and shared responsibility in shaping the nation’s future.

    Read Also: Many humans evil, opportunistic – Joeboy

    At the core of the issue lies the need to re-evaluate societal values. A collective shift towards empathy, compassion, and social responsibility is essential. It is an opportunity for individuals to reflect on their choices and consider the broader impact of their actions on the well-being of the entire nation.

    The paradox of a Nigeria where dogs feed better than humans is a powerful metaphor for the challenges facing the nation. It is a call to action, urging citizens, leaders, and policymakers to work collaboratively to address the root causes of inequality and build a future where all share prosperity. By investing in human capital, empowering communities, and re-evaluating societal values, Nigeria can embark on a journey toward a more equitable and compassionate society where no one goes hungry and every life is valued.

    • Samuel Jekeli, Centre for Social Justice, Abuja.
  • Poverty does not respect prayers – Archbishop Antonza

    Poverty does not respect prayers – Archbishop Antonza

    • Says work is what will deliver people

    President Supernatural Love Ministries/ Spirit Life Power Yola, Archbishop Calvin Antonza II, speaks with ADEOLA OGUNLADE on the myriads of challenges facing the nation and possible ways of combating them. He also asserts that Nigeria will be more prosperous if the number of factories outnumbers the number of worship centres planted across the nation.

    How will you describe the Nigerian state, looking at it from the area of economy, security, and politics?

    To be frank, Nigeria is in a dire position and we all know that it has never been this bad in our country. People are not only suffering but we have reached a state of hopelessness. Recently, we saw a video of a young man burning his certificates; this is very disturbing and dangerous. People are most dangerous when they reach a state of hopelessness, where they have nothing to lose, they can engage in any atrocity you can mention.

    Also, we have had more cases of suicidal tendencies and attempts than we have had in the past. This summarises the present situation in our country

    What can be done and what role should the church play?

    Firstly, pray. We must always pray for God to show us the way out. But before that, we must pray and repent of our way of doing things. There is something wrong with the Nigerian church and its approach towards God and society. That is why we need to pray and repent. Repentance means a change of heart. A change of attitude, a change of the way you do things, I’m not talking about religion; I’m talking about a real relationship with God. The proof of your good relationship with God is that you will dominate and bring solutions to life’s issues; you will not be the problem.

    Secondly, we must act. Faith without works is dead. One of the major challenges of Nigerian society is our curriculum. It glorifies certificates, with no corresponding practical skills. We must look into this, but what I am saying here is that work is what will take us out of poverty. Poverty does not respect prayers. What it responds to is smart work to produce, distribute, and transfer goods and services. Everyone must seek to be in the food and services chain. That is what will take us out of this quagmire.

    The Bible calls the church the light of the world. So, the major role of the church is to shine its light on the world. The easiest thing to do is to give people palliatives, which is not bad in itself, but this must not be the main intervention.

    Don’t just give me fish, teach me to fish. So, the church must play its role of being the light that will shine in the darkness. We must teach our members how to develop themselves and acquire skills that will make them productive in society. This must start however by the imbibing of godly values.

    Recently, there was an outcry over Pastor Jimi Odukoya succeeding his father as the Senior Pastor at Fountain of Life Church, should family members take over after the death of the founder?

    There are two approaches to this. Firstly, a registered church or ministry, just like a business must have a legal document, its constitution, which states its structure and also succession plan, according to the laws of the land.

    So, what does the Nigerian law say? What does the constitution of the ministry say? Different ministries have different organisational structures, so follow the constitution that will make what you do in succession legal and justified.

    Secondly, from the spiritual perspective, there was a specific tribe of Levi that was designated to be  priests, so anyone who came from that tribe was eligible to be a priest according to his order. In the same vein, I believe in a Christian ministry, all sons and daughters of the head pastor are eligible to succeed their spiritual father. This means, there should be a level playing ground for all to succeed the head pastor. The head pastor must then be led by God, who is the father of us all. Having said this, both the biological children of the head of the ministry, as well as all his spiritual children must be given a level playing ground for succession.

    Discrimination against his biological children is as bad as favoring them. If the head of the church, who is the Lord Jesus Christ, instructs you to select a person, you must do so whether he’s your biological offspring or not. The most important thing is for them to be spiritual sons and daughters.

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    Bishop Fred Addo, my spiritual father, came to us some years ago and told us God has instructed him to hand over the ministry he founded to someone. Following God’s instructions, he handed it over to me, though, his biological son was already a pastor in the ministry and his wife was already a Bishop in the ministry. I was a son and protege who had followed him in the ministry from inception. Many ministries have done that both in Nigeria and abroad. However, this does not mean that handing over to a biological child is wrong, if we follow the due process and not just because of narcissism.

    Nigeria is rated second most praying nation in the world after Afghanistan, but there is criticism that the situation of things in the country does not reflect this record, why is your take on this?

     Most people in Nigeria are only practicing religion with emotionalism and not in reality. Many people go to churches or mosques as a formality and it has no bearing on true value systems of life. Religion is indeed the opium of the people. It can help you feel high, without changing your condition. It can whip up emotions and make you take up arms to fight for it.  However, true Christianity must involve your deepest values such that you have respect for yourself and others. You treat your neighbours as yourself. You embrace the basic tenets of honesty, hard work, and fidelity.

    You understand that worship is work. You refuse to cut short processes to please yourself. You follow procedures and processes that will make the end product maintain the standard it’s supposed to maintain. That is true Christianity. Prayers and religious services are meant to teach you how to live with integrity. What most people practice in Nigeria is false religion. A selfish endeavor that you pursue just to meet your needs and not what you can contribute to society. That is why we have more churches and mosques than factories in Nigeria. If for every place of worship in Nigeria, we have a factory or shop, we will be more productive. This country can only get out of its mess when we learn to produce.

    I expect the government to provide all the enabling environment necessary for true entrepreneurs to arise and begin to build small, and medium enterprises as well as large-scale industries. The government needs to promote agriculture. Three things that can turn our country around are large-scale employment of our youths in agriculture, massive building of roads and housing, and finally, enabling specialisation by different geographical regions of the country to the natural endowment of each region.

    What other solution would you proffer as a way out of the current situation?

    Three things that can turn our country around, large scale employment of our youths in agriculture, massive building of roads and housing, and finally, enabling specialisation by different geographical regions of the country to the natural endowment of each region.

    Agriculture alone can make Nigeria an independent country economically. Israel today is one of the most developed nations in the world, they started by developing their agricultural system based on the kibbutzim system. Once you are independent agriculturally, you can then develop other systems of industrialization. If we want to get out of this situation, we must set up skills development centers, where all young people will learn modern agricultural techniques that can help them grow crops all year round. Another radical approach is we should shut down our country, and only eat what we grow. This radical approach has been used many centuries ago and once we develop our economy to be able to compete with others, then we can open it up for competition.  

  • The dimensions of poverty in Nigeria

    The dimensions of poverty in Nigeria

    In response to economic depression in Ghana, following a global slump in cocoa prices in the 1960s, Ghanaians began to migrate to Nigeria in droves in the 1970s to take advantage of the oil boom in Nigeria during that period. Within a decade, Ghanaians were everywhere in Nigeria. They were teachers. They were artisans. They were labourers, gardeners, cooks, and house-helps. They would do anything to make ends meet. As they heeded the Nigerian government deportation orders, once in 1983 and later in 1985, their emigration back home was a pitiful sight as they carried or dragged their rectangular plaid woven bags we have come to know today as Ghana-Must-Go bags.

    The evacuation order by the Nigerian government followed economic slow-down in the country, largely as a result of prolonged governance deficit and growing corruption for which Ghanaians were not responsible. Today, Nigeria and Ghana literally have swapped position. Of course, all is not well with Ghana yet; but it is much better for Ghana today than it was over forty years ago. Nigeria, on the other hand, has fared much worse. True, there are noticeable improvements here and there, but the economy has nosedived, leading the government to live on borrowed funds.

    A clear indication of Ghana’s economic recovery is its current poverty rate of 23.4% vis-à-vis Nigeria’s of 40.1%. Moreover, only 9% of Ghana’s population lives in “extreme poverty” (that is, less than $2 a day), while as much as 32% of Nigeria’s population lives in extreme poverty. That’s about 70 million people, which is more than twice the entire population of Ghana.  On her part, Ghana has been able to take more and more people out of poverty over the years due to improved governance and superior management of funds derived from cocoa, gold, and more recently oil. Of course, Nigeria is endowed with much greater quantities of these resources than Ghana. However, they have been poorly managed and the funds derived from them have gone into a few pockets.

    In addition to mismanagement and direct diversion of funds, two government policies—fuel subsidy and multiple exchange rates—were used to mask some of the corrupt practices, which deprived the masses access to necessary political goods. That’s why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s first line of attack at corruption was the reversal of these policies during his inauguration on May 29, 2023. He has also rightly gone further to probe the activities of the Central Bank and to improve security around the nation’s oil wells and pipelines, recently leading to increased oil production. Moreover, the administration has embarked on a policy of giving back to the people some of what has been stolen from them, by establishing an elaborate palliative policy which makes funds available for farming, infrastructure, transportation, housing, and entrepreneurial training. Cash is also being made available for the poorest of the poor.

    The problem, though, is that the multiple dimensions of poverty in Nigeria have hardly been properly assessed. Besides, periodic poverty alleviation measures cannot translate to poverty eradication. Yet, proper assessment of the dimensions of poverty in the country has to be done if appropriate policies were to be established to take more people out of poverty on a permanent basis.

    A good starting point is the Multidimensional Poverty Measure created by the Global Poverty Working Group out of the various dimensions of poverty developed by the UNDP, the Oxford Poverty and Development Initiative, and the World Bank. The four major dimensions and their indicators (in parentheses) are: (1) Health (nutrition and child mortality); (2) Education (literacy level, often measured by years of schooling); (3) Living Standards (housing, electricity, drinking water, sanitation, cooking fuel); and (4) Monetary (daily consumption or income. Any person who suffers major deprivations in three or more of these indicators is said to be multidimensionally poor.

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    Nigeria has consistently scored low on the various indicators, especially in the rural areas, where most of the population lives. What government after government has done was to throw money at the problems, often without the benefit of accurate data. We don’t even know how many we are since no census has been conducted since 2006! We’ve relied on population estimates, often by major world bodies, such as the United Nations and the World Bank, which is why many facilities are inadequate for the populations they serve. Many projects were abandoned due to inadequate funding, lack of clearly laid out implementation plans, lack of supervision, or outright corruption.

    But Nigeria’s problem is even deeper than these evident measures and indicators of poverty. There is also a general planning deficit, resulting from poor governance. Fortunately, the Tinubu administration has shown signs of improvement in these areas, going by the outcome of the cabinet retreat in November, which featured performance bonds with key performance indicators, a Performance Delivery Unit, and a performance monitoring App.

    What remains is a comprehensive plan to take a certain number of people out of poverty in a certain number of years. In designing such a programme, the starting point is knowing in which indicators of poverty people suffer the most deprivations and the number of people affected. In this regard, the Tinubu administration has something to learn from India, which took about 135 million people, about 10% of India’s population, out of poverty in the last five years alone!

    Of course, India did not achieve this feat overnight. Since the 1950s, the central government has been working with regional governments, non-governmental organisations, major businesses, and local communities to initiate and implement several programmes to alleviate poverty. The programmes include subsiding food, housing, and other necessities; increasing access to loans; improving agricultural techniques and price supports; promoting education and family planning; and accelerating entrepreneurial and ICT training. These measures have gone a long way in reducing or eliminating famines, developing technological skills, and reducing illiteracy, malnutrition, and joblessness. The results have been steady reductions in poverty levels.

    India’s case shows that poverty reduction or eradication is the result of sustainable programmes that are transferable from one government to the other, rather than of one-off poverty alleviation measures in moments of crises. Indeed, sustainability and self dependency should be promoted as integral parts of a successful poverty eradication policy.

    The Indian case also shows that poverty eradication is not just a top-down project. It is a project that succeeds only when it is decentralised from conception through implementation. This brings to the fore the incessant calls for decentralisation.

    It is high time a comprehensive policy was designed to eradicate poverty in Nigeria in order to derive the full impact of the new economic measures the Tinubu administration has developed.

  • How we’ll remove 50m Nigerians from poverty – Edu

    How we’ll remove 50m Nigerians from poverty – Edu

    Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, has outlined the details of President Bola Tinubu administration’s plans to pull 50 million Nigerians out of extreme poverty.

    Edu spoke to journalists on Day 2 of the 2023 Cabinet Retreat, organized for ministers, presidential aides, permanent secretaries, and other top government functionaries at the State House Conference Centre, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    She said her ministry was already on the right path towards improving things in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

    She said that her ministry was collaborating with the Ministries of Finance, Health, Education, and Agriculture, amongst others, to see that the administration can pull Nigerians out of the prevailing multi-dimensional poverty in the country.

    According to the Minister, the ongoing payment of N25,000 to poor households in Nigeria via the conditional cash transfer programme for the next three months, amounting to N75,000, was part of it.

    She explained that although the programme is for an immediate cushioning of the economic shock that these households are experiencing as a result of fuel subsidy removal, it will contribute to lifting 61 million households from poverty.

    She added that the process was being carried out rigorously to ensure that the right people get the money, adding that the government is identifying the beneficiaries, verifying their identities through their NINs and BVNs, and ensuring that they are paid.

    Asked the specifics that will ensure 50 million Nigerians are removed from poverty, Edu said: “So we have a couple of things that have been listed out. First and foremost, as you know, there is an ongoing payment of N25,000 to poor households in Nigeria, and this is going to happen for three months, amounting to N75,000.

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     “Now, this is an immediate cushioning of the economic shock that these households are experiencing. However, we’re taking our time going through the rigorous process. And the reason is simple; we want to be sure that the right people get the money, we identify them, they have their NINs, they have their BVNs and they paid. We don’t want to rush into paying people and then you realise that they don’t even exist.⁣⁣

    “That’s why we went through the process of verification, and payments have started. Different states across the country can attest to this and individual poor households as well. This we will make public so it’s not even secret. Public so that Nigerians can hold us accountable. ⁣⁣

    “This is 15 million households, which automatically amounts to about 61 million persons. Beyond this, the President is going to be creating jobs for millions of Nigerians through different methods. We’re providing zero-interest loans for markets, petty traders, market women, amongst other people. ⁣⁣

    “We’re also supporting poor farmers. We’re bringing on board the End Hunger Project, we’re equally bringing on board the Good Nigeria Project, and several other projects. And each of these projects has the targeted amount of persons who we want to reach through our social safety net projects. ⁣

     “We have the people who want to reach and an addition of all of these people together will give us a way over 50 million persons that will be directly reached by the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” she said.

  • FEC approves constitution of humanitarian, poverty alleviation trust fund

    FEC approves constitution of humanitarian, poverty alleviation trust fund

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the establishment of the Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund to cater for the various humanitarian needs and take relief to the vulnerable population in the country.

    The Council, which was chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chambers of the State House, also approved the application for a $3.45 billion World Bank financing for various projects, spread across five memoranda.

    Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, who briefed journalists after the week’s FEC meeting, which was the third by the Tinubu’s administration, also disclosed that the newly approved trust fund will be running on an annual $5 billion revenue, projected to be pooled from various sources.

    According to the Minister, there will be a Governing Board that will supervise the implementation of the fund as it will be carefully worked out by members of the committee.

    “This is a flexible form of financing that is supposed to help Nigeria adequately respond to humanitarian crises and challenges as well as adequately address the issue of poverty in Nigeria. This of course is a victory for the poor and indeed, would bring help and succor which the Renewed Hope Agenda stands for,” she said.

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    Speaking on the importance of the approval, she said: “Again, we are grateful to President Bola Tinubu today for the approval given for the creation of the Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trusts Fund.

    “This is a flexible form of financing that can help us get contributions from different sectors. So we’re going to have contributions from government, from the private sector, development partners, individuals, philanthropic individuals, and other innovative forms of crowd-funding and pooling of funds together.

    “This to allow for emergency response to humanitarian crisis in Nigeria. Every other day we hear about crisis, the floods and the rest of it. We need to be able to respond adequately as a country. Beyond this, the issue of poverty alleviation is one of the agendas of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his eight-point agenda and we want to be able to tackle it headlong”, she said.

    Asked how much the government was looking at, Edu said “every year we hope to be able to raise at least $5 billion within this fund and this is from the various sources that I’ve mentioned and even more. We are hopeful that with the creation of this funding, we can sit down with all the key stakeholders, including other ministries, and actually work out the full modality of implementation in Nigeria.”

    Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, who also briefed after the Council meeting, said he secured approval for five loans totaling $3.45 billion from the Council meeting.

    According to him, the funds are earmarked for projects that will bolster the power sector, renewable energy, education, and women’s empowerment.

    He gave indications that funding for states resource mobilization program, which will help them with their internally-generated revenue efforts, was also encapsulated in the loan facility.

    Edun also revealed that the loan facility had an initial 10 year moratorium at a very minimal interest rate to the Federal Government.