The Nation Newspaper

Tag: poverty

  • Osinbajo: security problems caused by poverty

    Osinbajo: security problems caused by poverty

    •VP opens law teachers’ golden jubilee in Anambra

    ACTING President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) has declared that the security problems facing Nigeria emanated from poverty.

    He spoke yesterday in Awka, Anambra State at the 50th Golden Jubilee Conference of the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU).

    Opening the event, Osinbajo said the issue of Boko Haram, Niger-Delta militants and clashes between the herdsmen and communities were as a result of poverty.

    According to him, “a lot of these agitations centered around the alleged failure of the state to create an inclusive society, a failure to guarantee the security of lives and property by the agencies charged with that responsibility and to build trust around the rule of law and justice system.”

    The acting president believed that the inability to provide basic needs of lives to the largest number of people remained the greatest source of tension in the policy.

    He maintained that youth unemployment made them vulnerable to being recruited by kidnappers, for anti-social agitations and violence.

    He added that the constant agitation for natural resources was a product of individual deprivations, adding that the individual deprivation was taken up by the ethnic nationalities as a group of agitation.

    Osinbajo said it was the failure of the state to deliver on the basic needs of the people that threw up individuals to run to their tribal groups to seek ways to finding succour.

    He noted that the political class failed the people though wastages of resources and embezzlement, which were at the forefront of trying to make the people believe that the situation was caused by depriving them what belonged to them.

    However, he agreed that the poverty of the Igbo man, the Hausa man and Yoruba man was caused by hunger, adding that it was the business of the Executive, the Legislature to provide the enabling environment for the quality of life that people expected.

    He, however, asked whether the legal system of the country could survive and serve its purposes in the society without incisive reconsideration.

    Anambra state Governor Willie Obiano frowned at the rate with which criminals were granted bail by courts.

    He, therefore, called on the lawyers to use the conference to solve such a problem.

  • Nigeria’s poverty level alarming – Osinbajo

    Nigeria’s poverty level alarming – Osinbajo

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday said that the Social Investment Programmes (SIPs) being implemented by the Federal Government for Nigerians are not favours but their right.

    He made the remark at an event showcasing the achievements of the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration at the second anniversary of the administration at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja. It was tagged “A Smile for every Nigerian”

    Noting that the social Investment Programme is both a heart and a head programme, he said that it is heart because the pains of poverty cannot be ignored.

    He said: “I want to say to all of you that we do not consider the programme as a favour done to you. It is not. You deserve this programme because you are citizens of this country.

    “This country can provide and should provide all that is in need of help and we will do our very best to provide,” he added.

    He recalled that the President during the campaigns had kept on saying that everything must be done to get Nigerians out of poverty.

    He said “The programme is also a head or logical common sense issue. A country’s economic development is a function of the number living above poverty level; our levels of poverty are so alarming that clearly some fundamental interventions by government are necessary.

    “Often our economic development plans and budgets assume a trickle down approach namely that if we put resources in promoting industry and commerce, jobs would eventually be created and the poorest will be reached.

    “The other premise is that GDP growth should translate to jobs. Both premises are flawed. First the trickle down model has proved far too slow to stem the tide of poverty in one of the fastest growing populations in the world.

    “Secondly, most of the Growth was on account of the oil sector which is capital intensive  but not  labour intensive. So while we were recording Growth levels of 7% because of the high oil prices unemployment figures grew.

    “In developing the APC manifesto and later our economic development  plans, we knew that government had to directly intervene with a massive social investment programme, that would tackle poverty and exclusion across the various spectra.

    “We have heard a lot about the programmes already but I would like to emphasize some of what I am particularly proud of. First is that we have shown that a massive programme can be initiated and managed on-line. The NPower programme is the largest post tertiary jobs programme in Africa. We now know that we can train large numbers electronically.

    “Secondly we have demonstrated that a transparent process of employment is possible. All of these young men and women have testified that they knew nobody, paid nobody to get the jobs they now have,

    “Thirdly we have achieved great success in our financial inclusion efforts  by bringing in many especially the extremely poor in the hinterlands into the formal banking system. Beneficiaries of the Conditional cash Transfer programme, home grown school feeding vendors and cooks, now have BVNs and bank accounts.

    “We have also demonstrated that electronic payment on such a huge scale, across the nation is possible. Most importantly we have ensured that our programmes are in all States not just APC States, so much so that some of the Governors in non APC States even take credit for these FG programmes.

    “We know that our children in public schools many from poor homes do not really care about whether the food is from one political party or the other. Most of the testimonies you have heard today, it is clear that our programmes have just simply gone.”

    He pointed out that the N100b set aside for the Family Home Fund, a Social Housing Project under the SIPs is a yearly contribution to the N1 Trillion Naira Social Housing fund.

    Osinbajo said “The largest in the history of the country. The World Bank, AFDB , are contributors to the fund. From this fund developers will borrow 80% of cost of project and counter fund with their own 20%. The same fund will enable us to provide inexpensive mortgages for hundreds of thousands across the country. Already the project has started in 11 States.

    “We expect that this Family Housing Fund will jumpstart and expand construction exponentially across the country.

    “The SIP is clearly one of the largest social intervention efforts anywhere in the world. It is complicated and diverse in its scale and scope. We are proud of the  men and women led by the SA on Social investments, Mrs Maryam Uwais.

    “That team is supervised by a very dedicated interministerial team. The Hon Ministers of Budget and Planning. Finance,” he added.

    According to him, the next phase of the programme will be reopening the portals for NPower on the 13 of June.

    “We are ramping up on the CCT, GEEP, and the Home Grown School FEEDING. Our targets are clear, soon enough we will put smiles on the faces of millions more,” he stated.

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, John Odigie-Oyegun, noted that the APC has contributed majorly in solidifying democracy in Nigerian in comparison with all administrations since 1999.

    He recalled that the party in 2015 mobilized against a non-performing administration through the power of the votes.

    But he maintained that his party took over power with the economy base totally fractured as cost of producing a barrel of oil and selling price of oil per barrel were almost at the same level.

    He however assured that the President Buhari’s administration was determined to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians.

    He also assured that the Nigerian economy will soon come out of recession.

    Also speaking at the occasion the Senate Minority Leader and former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Senator Goodwill Akpabio, endorsed the programme and commended the Federal Government for Achaemenes recorded so far.

    He said “We are always ever ready in the Senate to support any programme that will add smiles to the faces of Nigerians.

    “The food programme will actually take the kids off the streets. All Nigerians must key into the programme so that things can change.

    “We have never had this kind of programme before. We have a war in our hands, a war against poverty, so we must all support it,” he added.

    While calling for the programme to be extended, he also jokingly said that it should be made to cover ex-politicians who presently don’t have job at hand.

     

  • Synod advises govt on poverty alleviation

    The Anglican Diocese of Lagos Mainland has advised  the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to use the occasion of its second anniversary to introduce policies that will address the plight of the citizens.

    At the end of its four-day Synod from May 25 to 28 in Lagos yesterday, the diocese said in appointing people to implement the policies, competence and the country’s diversity should be considered, to give the citizenry a  sense of belonging.

    In a communiqué signed by the Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev. Akinpelu Johnson and the Synod Secretary, Venerable Emmanuel Adekoya, the diocese hailed the success made by the Federal Government in the war against Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast, but called for more efforts to secure the release of the remaining Chibok girls and other Nigerians abducted by the insurgents, to restore normalcy to the zone.

    Speaking          about agitations in the Niger Delta and Southeast, the diocese said while militancy had abated, efforts should be intensified to address the causes of conflicts, to ensure peace.

    It decried the reports of  nefarious activities of herdsmen, such as invasion of farms, kidnapping for ransom and other crimes in  parts of the country and enjoined the government to address the problem so that “while honest labour is rewarded, impunity and criminality must be punished.”

    The diocese praised the anti-corruption war of the Federal Government, saying it was necessary to contain the  effects of corruption on national development.

    It called for a more even-handed approach to ensure that it was not wrongly perceived as being selectively targeted at only critics of the administration or members of a particular political persuasion.

    The synod advised the citizens to shun corruption and other crimes,  since any meaningful ethical reorientation must begin with the individual.

    The diocese hailed the message of its synod theme, “But even with many the net did not break” (John 21: 11B),  noting that “even as the country undergoes painful readjustment in the midst of recession, a unity of purpose anchored on the sovereignty of God Almighty and the willingness of the people to obey His directives will result in bounteous blessings for the people and the development of Nigeria.”

    The diocese congratulated the people and government of Lagos State on the 50th anniversary of the creation of the state and urged the government to extend its urban renewal efforts to such areas as Ebute Meta, Yaba, Orile Iganmu/Coker to rid them of decrepit surrounding and create space for recreational facilities.

  • Bakare: corruption major cause of poverty

    Bakare: corruption major cause of poverty

    The Serving Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has described corruption as the major cause of the country’s poverty.

    Corruption, the cleric said,  must be vigorously addressed to unlock the population from the cycle of misery.

    He spoke at the Gala Night organised in honour of Rev. W.A. Badejo’s 70th birthday over the weekend in Lagos.

    Bakare, who was the guest speaker, spoke on the theme: “The cure for extreme poverty and corruption in Nigeria”.

    The cleric noted that corruption proceeded poverty and the two scourges feed off each other, adding that greed as against need leads to corruption.

    He said: “How else does one explain the mysterious billions of naira, millions of dollars and thousands ofpounds being unearthed in bizarre locations, including a soak-away pit, an empty apartment, and a cemetery? I understand from budget analyst that the monies traced to the former head of a parastatal could found major hydro and solar power projects, construct major roads and still purchase hundred units of 11kv transformers. That these funds were found idle in their hideouts indicates that they were diverted not to meet the need of the diverters but to serve their greed.”

    He added that aside the fact that corruption denies citizens access to resources and opportunities, it encourages laziness, discourages culture of diligence and professionalism.

    To further understand the interplay between corruption and poverty, he noted that three of the world’s poorest countries last year were on the list of top 10 most corrupt countries of the same year.

    According to the cleric,  seven of the top most violent countries in the world in 2016 were among the top 10 most corrupt countries that year, adding that corruption is closely associated with poverty, failing educational institutions, low standard of living and violence.

    Bakare noted that the best approach to curtail the spread of corruption was the spiritual approach.

    He said: “Human attempts at combatting corruption have often ignored the fact that man is three-dimensional being – being a spirit, possessing a soul and living in a body.

    “Anti-corruption strategies have often been restricted to physiological, the physical and the psychological, which deals with the soul. There is, however, a foundational level anti-corruption philosophy that can significantly limit the spread of corruption in the country. It is the spiritual approach, which seeks the rebirth of the individual.”

  • Teacher’s reward in heaven; poverty beckons on earth!

    SIR: Becoming a teacher in Nigeria, doesn’t exactly align with the prayers of most young Nigerians who seek God’s direction in their search for a glamorous future occupation. Try suggesting the teaching profession to an intending “Jambite” and you’d almost certainly be rebuked for your unreasonable statement, with a fervent “God Forbid!” to ensure such absurd wishes never come to pass!

    Aside from the snide remarks which undergraduates studying education struggle to endure on a daily basis from peers of other disciplines (which are considered to be more honourable and economically viable), a great portion of Education students, already seem to have programmed their immediate-future endeavours away from the classroom.

    A teacher’s reward is said to be in heaven. Well, while such complimentary divine assurance is expected to draw some attraction to the teaching profession, the farther it scares people away from it!

    It’s not news that a huge number of Nigerian teachers are broke! Irreparably broke, both penny wise and otherwise. In fact, practitioners in commercial trades like taxi driving, Keke/Okada riding and tailoring, have proven over time to be far richer, if one should aggregate their daily income as compared to the meagre monthly wages of classroom teachers!

    While teachers at the public sector have gotten themselves accustomed to recurring long and dry spells of unpaid salaries, the stars aren’t shining any brighter for teachers at the private schools. The exploitative and capitalist private schools I must add…

    Having studied education, and of course, endured the accompanying stigma that came along with it, I got really curious to look up the welfare package of teachers in some private schools. I realised, only a few Ivy League schools (even with their enviable net worth) thought it wise to pay teachers a little above N40,000 monthly (about $127). They bragged a lot about it too. A sum, some gatekeepers receive as remuneration for manning the gate of an oil company!

    I witnessed a massive troop of BSc degree holding graduates, queuing up for exhaustive hours to be recruited by private schools who were absolutely unapologetic about their fixed monthly salaries which varied between 12, 15, 20 and 25 thousand Naira respectively, (transportation and other expenses included). Who cares about what’s left in the teacher’s purse after blowing up a chunk of his or her insufficient pay on transportation to the job? Nobody right?

    The fortunate few who got the job, were ridiculously overworked beyond their capacity, and compelled to teach multiple classes/subjects (which sometimes, fell within the outskirts of their discipline). A lot of times, these enslaved teachers are owed their entitlements for months, but are still mandated to deliver their best on the toxic job! I guess, this shows to a large extent, the very little value we place on the noble teaching profession as a nation.

    As teachers remain hopeful for their reward in heaven (since the teaching profession has turned out to be the least avenue for wealth creation), can they at least make a decent living from their jobs (both at the public and private sectors) as the professionals they are for a change?

     

    • Nimi Princewill,

    princewill.nimi@yahoo.com

  • Saraki seeks global action against terrorism, illegal migration

    Saraki seeks global action against terrorism, illegal migration

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki Wednesday asked for a concerted international effort to tackle terrorism, poverty and illegal migration.

    He described the menace of terrorism, poverty and illegal migration as a global challenge.

    Saraki spoke when a delegation of students of the Royal College of Defence Studies, United Kingdom, led by Major General Lawrence Craig visited him at the National Assembly in Abuja.

    A statement by the Special Assistant to the Senate President on Print Media, Chuks Okocha, quoted Saraki as saying that the rising incidence of terrorism, poverty and illegal migration across the world, constitute a threat to the peace, stability and wellbeing of humanity irrespective of their countries of residence.

    It said that Saraki spoke in response to the address of the leader of the delegation.

    The Senate President also called for international support to enable Nigeria overcome its present economic challenges, and noted that if Africa has to grow, then Nigeria has to grow as the most populous in the continent.

    Saraki said, “When we talk about terrorism, poverty and migration, these are issues of great importance to us,” he said, asking “how do we address them? How do we secure our people from the ravages of terrorism, illegal migration and biting poverty?”

    He noted that the manner terrorism, poverty and migration are tackled will go a long way in deterring the fate of  Africa even though it is the obvious destination where tremendous economic growth is expected to take place in the next 30 years.

    “Whether you talk about economic growth, security challenges, humanitarian issues, health and education, all these are in Africa. I think for every other part of the world, we have to come together to make Africa work. And for Africa to work, Nigeria must work as well,” he said.

    He added: “I still believe that a lot can be done in the fight against terrorism. I think more can be done to support what we have achieved.

    “Illegal migration is another challenge we have. This is closer to your doorsteps. Many are looking for greener pastures, and that is the reason why we need to work together more closely,” he said.

    Leader of the delegation, Major General Craig, said that they were in Nigeria as part of their study tour of West Africa, to learn at first hand the efforts being made by the various governments to ensure stability, security and prosperity in their countries.

     

  • Poverty of prosperity

    Rich tributes enriched the 60th birthday of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, on April 10, but there was no publicised striking philanthropic gesture by the Nigerian billionaire businessman to mark the milestone.

    At the helm of the Dangote Group, “which has interests in commodities,” Dangote is well rated among the world’s super-rich giants. He is the 67th richest person in the world and the richest in Africa, according to the rankings by Forbes, the influential US-based international magazine.  His many-sided company “operates in Nigeria and other African countries, including Benin, Ethiopia, Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, South Africa, Togo, Tanzania, and Zambia.”  Dangote became “the world’s richest person of African descent” in 2013, and was the 23rd richest person in the world in 2014. The Forbes list of the top 10 richest Nigerians in 2017 puts his net worth at US $12.5 billion.

    If “Money is the medium by which earthly success is measured,” Dangote is indeed a huge earthly success. The quoted definition of money can be found in The Richest Man in Babylon, a bestseller by George Samuel Clason.

    It is thought-provoking that Nigeria’s richest man comes from Kano State in the country’s “most backward” region.  The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, painted a picture of the region’s backwardness in an April 14 speech to mark the third anniversary of the outrageous abduction of over 200 Chibok schoolgirls by Islamist insurgents in 2014. It is sad that most of these girls have not been brought back.

    Sanusi said: “I recently gave a speech in which I said the North-East and North-West of Nigeria are the poorest parts of the country. This simple statement of fact has generated so much heat the noise is yet to die down. But what really are the facts?”

    Sanusi continued: “…the South-West of Nigeria has less than 20% of its population living in poverty while the North-West has more that 80% of its population living in poverty. In the North-East the figure is 76.8%. Over 90% of the people in Yobe and Zamfara States are living in poverty compared to 8.5% in Lagos and around 11% in Osun and Anambra states.”

    Further information: “According to published research: Over 70.8% of women in North-West are unable to read and write compared to 9.7% in the South-East zone; More than 2/3 of 15-19 -year- old girls in the North are unable to read a single sentence compared to less than 10% in the South; In 8 northern states, over 80% of the women are unable to read and write; Only 4% of females complete Secondary schools in Northern Nigeria; 78% of adolescent girls are in marriages in the North-West, 68% in the North-East and 35% in the North-Central-these numbers clearly mirroring the poorest regions in the country. The statistics in the other zones are 18% in SS, 17% in the SW and 10% in the SE.”

    Where does Dangote enter the picture? Well, he did nothing significant on his 60th birthday that reflected an awareness of his region’s crisis. Hear Sanusi: “We have a problem. In fact, we have an existential crisis. And all of us in this country, politicians, intellectuals, Emirs and traditional rulers, religious leaders, businesses, NGOs have to come together to solve this.”

    To be fair, when in May 2016 Dangote made a donation of N2 billion to internally displaced persons (IDPs), he also made a powerful statement by his example. Apart from being the single largest donation by an individual, what Dangote gave reflected his appreciation of the enormity of the humanitarian crisis caused by terrorism. This exemplary humanitarian response was reinforced by Dangote’s presence. It was a demonstration of empathy that communicated the humanity of Nigeria’s and Africa’s richest man. He was touring IDP camps in Dalori and Bakassi in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, when he announced his relief package which he said would be delivered through the Dangote Foundation.

    But prosperity comes with a social burden; the bigger the prosperity of the individual, the bigger the burden of social giving towards social development.

    Perhaps the most enlightening demonstration of this important implication is the thinking that produced the idea for The Giving Pledge launched in June 2010 by the world’s richest man, Bill Gates, worth US$86 billion in 2017, and wife Melinda, in association with super-rich Warren Buffet. It is a remarkably ethical “effort to help address society’s most pressing problems by inviting the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to commit to giving more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes either during their lifetime or in their will.”

    The beauty of the pledge is that it represents no more than a moral commitment and it is volitional.  By April 2011, 69 billionaires had reportedly joined the campaign and pledged to give 50% or more of their wealth to support philanthropic causes. A year later, the campaign had attracted more of the elite rich and a report said “81 billionaires committed to giving at least half of their fortunes to charity.” According to a report,   “As of August 2015, 137 billionaire or former billionaire individuals or couples have signed the pledge.” Most of them are, like Buffett and Gates, American citizens. Considering America’s rich status, it speaks volumes for the enduring relevance of a giving philosophy driven by social responsibility that the original promoters of the pledge were prosperous Americans.

    It is noteworthy that there is an annual UN-endorsed International Day of Charity on September 5. Hungarian Csaba Korosi in a speech he gave at the UN on benevolent giving in the social context said: “Charity can alleviate the worst effects of humanitarian crises, supplement public services in health care delivery, education, housing, and child protection. It assists the advancement of culture, science, sports, and natural heritage.”

    It is popular to argue for speaking truth to power. What about speaking truth to the power of money? The Giving Pledge is built on the socially influenced and socially influential logic of giving back to society. It suggests that demanding measurable social responsibility from the super rich is not necessarily inspired by a sense of entitlement; but there is a sense in which it is a social entitlement.  It does not need to be imposed because it is properly self-imposing.

    In the final analysis, Dangote’s 60th birthday was a big occasion that he could have used, and should have used, to make a big statement on the social purpose of personal prosperity.

  • Poverty in the North, like Niger Delta

    SIR: Last week, two key developments relative to the Niger Delta made the news. One was the interview which Asari Dokubo granted Vanguard newspapers. Apart from insinuating that the Ijaw people owned the Niger Delta, and that the Ijaw are the armed custodians of the struggle for the emancipation of the Niger Delta, he went on to warn the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, to desist from further visiting the Niger Delta for the sake of solving some of the intractable problems bedevilling the region. As acting president, Osinbajo showed a commitment to the cause of the Niger Delta to the extent that whenever he comes visiting, he generates interest, trust and hope that the real clogs in the wheel of development in the Niger Delta would be identified and removed. This trustworthiness that he has often brought with him broke down barriers and divides to the extent that some states in the South-south and South-east conferred him with chieftaincy titles.

    And so, not up to a month after the then acting president made this assertion, enter Asari Dokubo. In his corralling the Vice president, he turned out to vindicate the clear majority of Niger Deltans who believe that institutions in the Niger Delta – the NDDC, the Ministry of the Niger Delta and DESOPADEC – will not succeed in alleviating the poverty of the region because of the interest of the political elite. You see, despite the billions already sunk therein, poverty of the worst kinds come from the Niger Delta. I remember a certain year in my village. Certain young men were getting fed up that although we had over 16 oil wells which contribute to the income of Nigeria, we had zero representation, zero hospitals and zero schools and Federal presence. Therefore, they stormed the offices of the multinationals drilling and exploring for oil. It was while there that the scales fell off from their eyes. They were shown video footages of certain elements claiming to be representatives of the village collecting monies which they swore they were collecting on behalf of the village. They saw the receipts, names and signatures appended to financial documents!

    And just the way it is in many places in the Niger Delta, there are many instances where the elite in Northern Nigeria work to keep the talakawa in perpetual poverty, using religion and cultural insinuations. That was what Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was referring to recently. At the KADINVEST 2.0 programme, the emir said that the elite in northern Nigeria is using religion and culture to cage their people. Some northerners refuse to send the young girls to school, preferring instead to keep them in purdah. The little boys are Almajiri – left to be groomed on the streets, they eventually morph into a guerrilla army in the hands of religious fundamentalists eager to send them straight to heaven.

    But like the Emir has said, while the rest of the Islamic world has since moved on, and is making advances in sciences, technology, innovation and medicine, the version we have here wants to remain in the 13th Century and keep the rest of Nigeria there as well.  What makes the case from the emir particularly interesting is that the modern northern elite is not known for this kind of openness. They would rather maintain and enjoy the status quo. While the South-South elite would generally speak up to generate intense public attention just for his pocket, the northern elite is often mute, savouring the rankadede which the minnows around bestow.

     

    • Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku,

    Benin City.

  • New group emerges in Ekiti, set to tackle poverty

    A new group known as IBILE has been launched in Ekiti State, to promote the ideals and good works of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

    Worried by massive poverty in the state, the group also aims to form economic groups and cooperatives in the 16 local government areas to access loans from governmental agencies and financial institutions.

    Speaking at its launch in Ikere Ekiti, Director General of the group, Wale Adeoye, explained that ”the movement was not a political group but to promote the core values of Ekiti people and assist the poorest of the poor.”

    Adeoye explained that IBILE drew inspirations from Awolowo, whom he described as the greatest Yoruba politician of all time and one of the greatest the world had ever seen.

    The journalist-turned activist said the movement was established to promote the welfare of people in the grassroots which the late sage worked for in his lifetime.

    Adeoye who disclosed that IBILE will soon be launched in all the 16 local government areas of Ekiti State added that membership of the movement is open to people who are 18 years and above.

    He said: “We have a rich environment with the rolling hills, the great valleys and the vast, snaky streams, the lush green vegetation, the spring water in various towns and villages. Despite our wonderful gifts of nature and circumstances, our people remain the poorest of the poor.

    “We were never a hungry people; it was from cocoa farms that the Yoruba nation built the first television station in sub-Sahara Africa, the first radio station, the Liberty Stadium, Ado Ekiti Textile Industry not to talk of the regime of free education across the entire Yoruba territories.

    “Ekiti people are known for dignity and uprightness. We once had a reputation to be honest, steadfast and hardworking. We had dignity, we command respect anywhere we go based on our heritage. Today. We must admit that there is a great threat to these values.

    A community leader, Chief Diran Adeojo, said IBILE concerned about the welfare of the average Ekiti person saying “the group stands for the restoration and redemption of Ekiti.”

  • ‘Women farmers are solution to poverty in Nigeria’

    ‘Women farmers are solution to poverty in Nigeria’

    A non-governmental organisation, Women Advocacy, Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) in collaboration with the Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE) has said female farmers have the solution to poverty in the country.

    The NGO spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital when it led a group of women farmers to the state Ministry of Agriculture to present the farmers’ a-10 point demands.

    The Programme Coordinator, WARDC, Folake Kuti, said her group was out to sensitise government all levels to enunciate policies and programmes that are friendly to the women folk

    In her words: “The Federal Government right from the last administration has spent huge sum of money on agriculture and we discovered that women are lagging behind. Even though, they are the majority when it comes to labour in the agric sector, yet they are making less from agriculture. We discovered that they exist in small groups and that unless they come together and engage policy makers they cannot really get much from the money that government is spending.

    “The project is trying to make women have organised groups to be able to meet government to have access to agric grants. We also discovered that apart from the fact, that men are the ones making money in agric because they are the ones that own land, they are the ones accessing government grants and loans because they have collateral

    “We realised that most agricultural policies by successive governments do not recognise women as farmers. They are the farm labourers. If Nigeria must get rid of poverty it must first tackle women as they are the ones wearing poverty on their faces. In the last two years the project has been on in four states of Benue, Kwara, Enugu and Osun and the federal level so as to engage government that we need a gender policy on agric.

    “We discovered during our research that women small holding farmers do not have access to fertilisers which has been politicised; women are also lagging behind in terms of access to credit facilities.”

    In her presentation on behalf of small holder women farmers in the state, Fatima Garba said women farmers are yet to have special support and assistance necessary to realise their potentials in agriculture.

    Said she: “Despite government avowed commitment to drive the economy through agriculture and expand food production to reduce hunger to zero level, women farmers who constitute about 70 percent labour in food production, food processing and marketing are yet to receive special support.

    “Unfortunately, smallholder woment farmers’ concerns and needs have failed to attract government’s attention at national and state levels, thus policies and programmes relating to agriculture have not projected women in agriculture faily and this have implications for national development and food security.

    “We affirm that government must invest in smallholder farmers to be able to ensure food security, zero hunger, women economic empowerment and gender equality and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals for Nigeria.”

    Mrs. Garba listed their demands as agricultural policy; agricultural budget; farm inputs; machines; market access; herdsmen attacks; access to farmlands and employment of female extension workers. Others include provision of infrastructure and farm settlement scheme Responding, Permanent Secretary, Kwara state Ministry of Agriculture, Simeon Opowoye counseled the smallholder women farmers to identify with the ministry, as it has many activities that would be beneficial to the women.

    Mr. Opowoye said: “We have some programmes where women have been participating in the state especially the Fadama project. There is a need for all these groups to come out clearly and identify with the ministry so that when activities of benefit come, we can easily contact you.

    “For example early next year, we are expecting that a billion Naira is going to be made available to the farmers. The state government has finalised arrangement about that. The one billion Naira commercial agric loans are meant to be distributed to serious farmers to work with so that they can live a good life that you have advocated.

    “Many of us know that for most family’s women are the burden bearers and they need to be assisted. I think all of us will identify with your group. We are glad that you are out and by the grace of God we will do our best that your desires are met.”