The Nation Newspaper

Tag: poverty

  • Northeast records 20% poverty index

    There is child hunger in the Northeast, a report has said.

    In a special report on the “possibly deteriorating” situation in  Borno and Yobe states, FEWS NET, a network set up by USAID to provide early warning on famine and food insecurity, said surveys and screenings indicated Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates “ranging from 20 to nearly 60 percent”.

    Levels of GAM recorded in July and last month were well over the 15 percent threshold deemed “critical”, and, in some cases, higher than 50 percent, meaning more than half the children surveyed suffered from moderate or severe acute malnutrition, the report said.

    The report further stated that this level of acute malnutrition reflected an “Extreme Critical’ situation … and is associated with a significantly increased risk of child mortality,” stressing that conditions might be even worse in areas that remained inaccessible.

    United Nations Child Education Fund (UNICEF) helped to draw attention to the unfolding crisis in the Northeast in July, highlighting the fact that an estimated 244,000 children faced severe malnourishment in Borno alone, and warning that an estimated 49,000, one in five, would die if they didn’t receive treatment.

    Head of Communication for Action Contre La Faim (Action Against Hunger), which conducted several of the surveys, Elizabeth Wright, said the situation represented the worst humanitarian crisis and suffering since World War II.

    “We are seeing a horrifying prevalence of malnutrition that far exceeds emergency thresholds, and people are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity,” she stated.

    The latest red flag from FEWS NET draws attention to places  such as Banki town and Bama, in Borno State, where the threat of Boko Haram violence continues to limit movement and prevent humanitarian access.

    Wright pointed out that much of the latest data was based on Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) screenings of children under five, which could give a good reading of the trend but were not as technically sound for showing malnutrition prevalence as fuller nutritional assessments.

    According to her, it was vital that humanitarian actors should be able to conduct technically-sound nutrition assessments in newly accessible areas of Borno to quantify the scale and severity of needs and to guide the most appropriate, effective humanitarian response.

    Despite her caution over the data, Wright said 50 percent levels of GAM were very unusual and similar to what was seen during the 2011 crisis in Somalia when the scale and severity of hunger led to a declaration of famine by experts and the UN.

    In the wake of the UNICEF campaign, Bama, one of the towns most hit by insurgency and  home to 270,000 people, is now a ghost town. Currently the streets are deserted, the houses have no roofs, and there is literally no sign of life.

    It has, however, enjoyed a brief spell in the international media spotlight. It even received a string of high-profile visitors, including Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, and a range of relief items, including food, clothing and drugs.

  • Education: Cure for Poverty

    Education: Cure for Poverty

    In a country of half paralyzed economy system, we can say education is basically the closest, cure for poverty in the world today, it plays a key role in helping eradicating poverty, as a result of the poor quality of education, it has happened that the level of poverty increases, people are more focused on needs and also forget the long term benefits of education.

    Education makes it more difficult for men and women not to be employed, but could be of better advantage, if you hold a good job that is more secure, privilege of good  working conditions and also decent pay that’s the power of education. Education would not only help you cure poverty, but also guard you from poverty.

    High level of education helps you stand less risk of poverty than a less educated person. Which is true in the world today, but it is quite surprising also that not all the successful people of the world today are graduates or even have a taste of education but that does not dispute the importance of education some might even regret it because education gives you edge and balance.

    An educated person would pay attention to everything because he or she might later make sense of it and wouldn’t just act without reasoning. Education keeps you from being trapped because you’d be able to reason logically, you won’t just believe something without reasoning, you certainly need to get educated.

    A great job, a good social reputation are few of the many benefits of being an educated person. Education is a must for a promising and secure future. An educated person has more chances for survival in today’s world. The more educated you are, the better the career options you have. Not only is education important in reducing poverty, the role of education in poverty, is crucial. No country of the world has or would succeed if it has not educated its people, Education is important for the fight against poverty.

    In the societies of today, even the poorest parents wish to invest all they have in children’s education and doing this they believe that the investment would sow good seed, even if they have suffered they still believe in the future of their children. Looking at the situation on ground that’s enough motivation for the children to get good education.  On the long run they would also see the bigger picture on the importance education and how it would help eradicate poverty and also the opportunities that comes after completed education; this would also help prevent the transfer of poverty between generations.

    Education and has contributed to the societies of today it gets you exposed and has also made almost everything accessible. The effect of education is strong.it is advised we get education to some level and this might at list reduce the rate of poverty and make people suffer less. At least if we all have a secondary education, it would reduce the rate, sometimes it is not about formal education there’s need for sex education, parents should at least train or educate their children on sex education, educating the female child can help control birth rate. Some families are larger than expected and suffering.

    A number of school aged children these days are not even in school why? It’s because provisions are not even made for them. Lack of birth control could never be ruled out, teenage pregnancies increases and then this should not be so, education can contribute to reducing poverty.it is important to acquire basic education at least.

    Take a look at those in paid formal employment they earn higher wages because of the level of education, it has become a necessity and a force contributing to the elimination of poverty in a sustainable way, It is therefore important to invest in education that provides children and youth with relevance in the society.

  • Desperate poverty

    Desperate poverty

    •What citizens do when they cannot find food

    Swapping his five-year-old son for a bag of rice was a sign of desperate poverty, but that does not redeem the dark action of Mallam Yusuf Bala. The curious June 26 exchange happened without an agreement, as the boy’s father abandoned him with a rice seller at Singer Market, Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State.

    Quoting an eyewitness, a report said “Bala approached the rice dealer, Alhaji Suleiman Bagudu, to buy a bag of rice, which he carried home but left his son, with a promise to rush home to bring the money for the foodstuff”.

    The report continued:  ”However, six hours after, the said man failed to show up as promised to settle the rice dealer and collect his son. According to the source, the rice dealer became suspicious, following Bala’s prolonged absence, a situation that prompted the trader to interrogate the toddler he left behind. On interrogation, the five-year-old boy innocently led the rice dealer to their home, located at the abattoir area of Koki in Dala Local Government Area of the state.”

    Bala’s unacceptable defence: financial woes led him to it. Interestingly, Bala’s defence attracted pity, and the rice dealer responded by donating the bag of rice to him, apart from reuniting father and son.

    This incident, with its touching angles of material poverty and fellow feeling, further underlined the tough existential situation of many people in the country. It was a sign of the harrowing times.

    It is noteworthy that, some weeks earlier, a similar drama of desperate indigence was the focal point in Igede Ekiti, the headquarters of Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area in Ekiti State, as a teacher reportedly stole a pot of amala (yam flour meal) from a neighbour’s flat.

    A report said: “The incident, which happened at Odogede area of the town, involved a teacher who works at Ekiti Baptist High School …The neighbour on arrival at home prepared amala, but unknown to her, the teacher had been watching and bidding her time when the owner of the food would leave the kitchen before she struck. As the woman preparing the food left the kitchen, the teacher went there and stole the pot of amala and carried it to her room. But the owner of the food screamed and was startled to find the teacher and her two children eating the amala with palm oil. The owner of the food, apparently touched by the action of the teacher, went back to her apartment and brought soup for the teacher and her children to eat to satisfaction.”

    Of course, in the two cases, the reality of hardship was no justification for bad behaviour, which was ultimately a failure of morality. Indeed, to remain unshakably ethical in the face of such overwhelming need is no easy challenge, but principled conduct must be rated above unprincipled ways.

    It is a sad reflection of the difficult times that food, or the lack of it, is at the centre of the unconscionable actions. A basic need, such as food, is so basically necessary that the temptation to go to extreme lengths to satisfy the need could be overpowering for some people. But a properly rooted sense of right and wrong should be a guide in the difficult process of living consciously and conscientiously day by day.

    It is important to uphold the virtues that are so essential for correct socialisation. It is equally important to discourage anti-social tendencies with emphatic clarity for the purpose of social progress.

    It should be stressed that while the pursuit of progressive socio-economic conditions is a non-negotiable aspect of society building, the promotion of irreducible ethical standards also represents an important part of the mix.  In the final analysis, social progress is about human progress, and a constructive moral philosophy should be at the heart of the matter.

    All said, the two incidents call for more urgent actions from the governments to alleviate poverty in the country. All hands must be on deck to at least minimise, if not eliminate such circumstances.

     

  • Institute targets poverty eradication with Islamic finance products

    Institute targets poverty eradication with Islamic finance products

    The Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals (IIFP) has partnered a  Dubai-based Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics (CIBE) to combat poverty  with varieties of Islamic banking and financing products.

    The two organisations held a One-day Islamic Finance Workshop yesterday at the University of Lagos Mosque Conference Hall, Akoka, Lagos.

    CIBE Managing Director/Chief executive Officer Dr Muhammad Zubair Mughal, said the products were sourced from the Sharia.

    The products, he said, include loan facilities, partnership, equity, mark-up, agricultural development, manufacturing, among others.

    Dr Mughal said the Islamic financing system and products are unique because they are asset-based and designed to benefit all segments of the society; irrespective of religious affiliations.

    He added that the organisations have different unique products for each segment of the society.

    “Islamic finance has dedicated products to address poverty situation.  Islam is the only religion in the world where poverty elimination is a religious obligation,” he said.

    He urged members of the public to see the Islamic financing products as banking products and not religious products, saying “It should be seen as banking products for all; irrespective of your ideology and religious affiliation.”

    Mughar said the products and services are reviewed every year to allow for the inclusion of more packages that will benefit the people’s businesses and the country’s economy.

    IIFP Chairman, Board of Trustees Dr Tajudeen Yusuf said the institutes were out to to promote ethical banking, financing and insurance in order to grow the Nigerian economy.

    According to him, IIFP was licensed to designing banking products, certifying conventional banking professionals and ensuring compliance with the ethics of the industry.

    He enjoined non-Muslims and the conventional banking system operators to stop antagonising the Islamic financing products, saying: “we don’t see ourselves as substitutes. We see ourselves as alternative to the conventional system. We are not out to destroy the conventional system, rather we want to entertain a healthy rivalry.

    “We have come as an alternative to compliment the efforts of the present government in terms of fighting economic crimes and stabilising the economy.”

    Dr Yususf added that the two institutions (IIFP and CIBE) are also targeting financial inclusion, noting that less than 30 per cent of Nigerians are currently financially included.

  • Poverty and the palliative committee

    The issue of poverty – especially how to reduce or eradicate it all together – has engaged my thoughts for years. On May 19 and 26, I wrote a two part series titled “How do we tackle poverty? I did this because of my firm conviction that one of the most prevalent and pervasive social problem in Nigeria today is poverty. A whopping 71 percent of the population – according to the National Bureau of Statistics – is living in various categories of poverty. Poverty – in its most general sense – is the lack of necessities. Basic food, shelter, medical care, and safety are generally thought necessary based on shared values of human dignity.

    In the second part of the article I concentrated on the reaction and intervention of Dr. Dan Mou, a public affairs analyst which stem from the memorandum he sent to President Muhammadu Buhari where he outlined the need for the executive arm of government to set up a National Poverty Eradication Commission to manage, monitor and evaluate the N500 billion captured in the 2016 budget to cater for the needs of the most vulnerable in our society.

    I did mention in the article that Dr. Mou has had a robust and distinguished public service. He was opportune to serve National Security Advisers (NSA) in different administrations during his public service. He is not new to intervening in public discourses and governance. He has done this from the regimes of General Ibrahim Babangida down to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    His interventions amazingly led to the creation of key organs of governance like the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the Ministry of Niger Delta and the Presidential Amnesty Programme amongst a host of other adopted memos which are published as appendixes in his book “Making of an African Giant: State, Politics and Public Policy in Nigeria.” The sad part of it all was that his efforts were not even acknowledged when these and other organs of governments were formed – headed by people who knew next to nothing of their emergence.

    It is gratifying to note that a lot has happened since the publication of the articles. The Federal Government has since set up the technical committee on palliatives for citizens while a bill for the establishment of a National Poverty Eradication Commission has passes second reading in the senate. The palliative committee is led by Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.

    The Ngige led committee – which also includes the president of the Nigerian Labour Congress – would discuss the minimum wage and modalities of implementing it. Most importantly, it would also look at the issue of allocation of the N500 billion palliative funds provided for in 2016 budget which labour wanted to monitor how it is disbursed. The committee would report to the committee of the whole within two weeks after its inauguration.

    The Senate is also presently considering a bill on poverty eradication which is for an ‘Act to Establish the National Poverty Eradication Commission’ to tackle the spate of poverty in the country. This was part of a public hearing of Senate Joint Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social welfare and National Planning and Economic Affairs Committee. The bill was sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto East). It seeks to provide a legal framework for the establishment of the commission.

    Leading debate on the bill in the senate, Gobir said unlike the national poverty eradication programme created by former President Olusegun Obasanjo without legal backing, similar agencies established by the federal government would now be backed by relevant laws with the commission serving as a statutory body. According to him, the commission would be saddled with the responsibility of coordinating and monitoring all poverty control policies in Nigeria.

    He described the planned establishment of a commission to tackle poverty as a more effective way of eradicating poverty in the country. This, to him, He will be a departure from the past when various agencies were established without enabling laws for their operations.

    The bill received overwhelming support from senators who recalled how poverty is controlled in the United States through the existence of an agency which pays stipends to the unemployed and also gives them food stamps which qualify the jobless to eat three meals daily.

    There are two basic schools of thought on how best to tackle poverty. The first is championed by the World Bank and its technocrats who support the massive infusion of funds in infrastructure which they believe would create jobs and invariably reduce poverty.

    The other school of thought made up mainly of home bred scholars are of the opinion that a commission or agency should be in place and be saddled with the responsibility of monitoring funds released to ensure they actually get to the people living in poverty. While they are not opposed to investing in infrastructure, they believe it would be difficult actually monitoring any trickledown effect on the investment.

    I support the second school of thought because to maximise the relevance of insights into poverty reduction, a selective synthesis of approaches is needed. Policy recommendations should include the need to focus on provision of forms of capital – including education – community development; and policies to offset the adverse incentives of market failures that often underlie poverty.

    Yes, investing in infrastructure is critical and can run side by side with palliatives, but the point here is that majority of those living in abject poverty may not even have the requisite skill of working in the construction or other sectors. So the challenge would be how to come to their level and help which I feel a commission with a clear mandate will suffice with the assistance of credible Non-governmental organisations.

    But we must first define and agree on the type of poverty we’re talking about and what causes it. Classical and neoclassical traditions view individuals as largely responsible for their own destiny, choosing in effect to become poor – I find this difficult to believe. Neoclassical theorists, on the other hand, are more wide ranging and recognise reasons for poverty beyond individuals’ control. These include lack of social as well as private assets; market failures that exclude the poor from credit markets; barriers to education; poor health etc.

    Looking at the classical and neoclassical approaches together, their main advantages reside in the use of quantifiable monetary units to measure poverty and the readiness with which policy prescriptions can be put into practice. They also highlight the influence of incentives on individual behaviour as well as the relationship between productivity and income.

    Criticism of these approaches highlights their overemphasis on the individual – without, for instance, taking into account links with the community – and the focus on purely material means to eradicate poverty. My suggestion; don’t throw cash at the problem, but explore strategies where the cash can multiply over time.

    By suggesting radical changes in the socio-economic system, Marxian economists and other radical theorists highlight the possibility that economic growth alone may be insufficient to lift poor people out of relative poverty, because those who belong to certain classes may not reap any of the benefits of overall income growth. Similarly, by emphasising the concept of class, it provides a shift in perspective, focusing on group – rather than individual – characteristics, with individuals’ status considered dependent on the socio-economic environment in which they live.

    In our case, I support the infusion of the Neoclassical and Marxian approaches with local modifications. For example, Nigeria experienced steady economic growth between 2010 and 2015, but unfortunately, these growths did not directly impact the lives of citizens positively. This development has now given rise to a new school of thought in Economics which now feels that GDP has become a poor reflection of assessing growth.

    Isn’t it high time we look at self-driven and patriotic individuals like Dr. Dan Mou and give them the opportunity to serve? Most of them often intervene from purely patriotic points of view. His memo to the president – which has already led to a chain reaction of events – should be given priority by the executive arm of government. It is not a coincidence he is intervening in the life of the Nation at such a critical time.

  • I’ll rid Ondo of poverty— APC guber aspirant

    An All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Mr. Olaoluwa Adeyeye has proffered solutions to economic challenges of the state.

    The aspirant, who spoke with The Nation in Akure, the state capital said he intends to fight poverty to the minimal if elected during the November 26, gubernatorial poll.

    Adeyeye said “I am interested in the race because I realized there’s need for us as a people in of State to do things differently in order to get the kind of results that we desire and deserve.

    “My ambition is premised on a strong desire to solve problems and thereby make a difference and represent ‘real change’ for our people.

    “I am interested because there’s need for a shift from the current ancient style of governance to a revolutionary cutting edge approach especially as we are in the 21stcentury. I am focused on making a difference.

    “We will create an enabling environment for everyone to thrive especially the private sector.

    “The role of government is largely to create an ambiance where industries, agriculture, education, health and indeed every sector thrives.

    “Ondo State is blessed with ‘milk and honey’ in every sense, our people thread on gold and have little to eat.

    “With careful planning and engagement, we will ramp up the tonnage of our agricultural output with a careful balance of short, medium and long term products in view.

  • Why poverty persists, by ILO

    Why has it been difficult to fight poverty globally? It is because of lack of quality jobs and the economic meltdown, says the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

    In its “World Employment and Social Outlook (WESO) 2016 – Transforming Jobs to End Poverty”, the ILO said over 36 per cent of the emerging and developing world live in poverty – on a daily income of less than $3.10.

    The report noted that about $600 billion a year – or nearly $10 trillion over 15 years, is needed to eradicate extreme and moderate poverty globally by 2030.

    The ILO also reported that persistent poverty cannot be solved by income transfers alone, adding that more better jobs are crucial to achieving this goal.

    It stated: “It is estimated that almost a third of the extremely or moderately poor in developing economies have jobs. However, their employment is vulnerable in nature. They are sometimes unpaid, concentrated in low-skilled occupations and, in the absence of social protection, rely almost exclusively on labour income.

    “Among developed countries, more workers have wage and salaried employment, but that does not stop them from falling into poverty”.

    ILO Director-General Guy Ryder noted that the sustainable development goal of ending poverty in all its forms everywhere by 2030 remained at serious risk.

    He said: “If we are serious about the 2030 agenda and want to finally put an end to the scourge of poverty perpetuating across generations, then we must focus on the quality of jobs in all nations.”

    ILO’s Special Adviser on Social and Economic Issues Raymond Torres explained that the world’s 30 per cent poor hold two per cent of the global income.

    Torres explained that only through deliberate improving the quality of employment for those who have jobs and creating new decent work will countries provide a durable exit from precarious living conditions and improve livelihoods for the working poor and their families.

    The study also found that high levels of income inequality reduce the impact of economic growth on poverty reduction.

    “This finding tells us that it is past time to reflect on the responsibility of rich nations and individuals in the perpetuation of poverty. Accepting the status quo is not an option,” said Torres.

    The report concluded that transforming jobs to end poverty would require tackling low productivity traps, which lie at the heart of poverty; strengthening rights at work and enable employer and worker organisations to reach the poor; and alleviating poverty through well-designed employment and social policies.

    Other recommendations of the report are: reinforcing governments’ capacity to implement poverty-reducing policies and standards; boosting resources and making the rich aware of their responsibility; and involving the ILO in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.

  • How do we tackle poverty? (2)

    When I set out last week to write about poverty, my intention was for it to be an introduction to an issue that cannot be effectively discussed in just one write up. The enormity and complexity of the poverty matrix has the potentials of endangering social fabrics, undermining economic development and the environment, and threatening political stability in many countries – including ours that is performing woefully according to all available indices. One of the factors we cannot therefore rule out in the security challenge the country is passing through is poverty.

    My plan tweaked when Dr. Dan Mou, an Abuja based public policy analysis expert reacted to the piece. I first met Dr. Mou on this page when he reacted to my piece “Books on my mind.” That virtual meeting has since gone personal because of our shared belief for intellectuality, credible leadership and informed citizenry. We met again – on this page that is – when he reacted to last week’s piece on “How do we tackle poverty?”

    “Many thanks for your very interesting article with the above title; published in The Nation of today (May 19, 2016),” he wrote, “I noted with interest that your title for the article was a question: how do we tackle poverty?

    “This matter has also agitated my mind for a long time. I have also found what I feel is my answer to your question, even before you asked it. On the 16th March, 2016, I had also forwarded my answer to this very question to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief, Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “Rather than repeat myself writing another article to answer your challenge and question I have decided to forward to you the Executive Summary of a Memorandum that I had already sent to the President containing my proposals on how to tackle the poverty challenge in Nigeria. My proposal included the creation of a National Poverty Eradication Commission.

    “I hope you find it useful. It is not that classified to the extent where it cannot be released as a public letter to Mr. President. It is also of public rather than private interest, as you can see from the contents.”

    A little background to situate this memo will suffice here. Dr. Mou has had a robust and distinguished public service. He was opportune to serve under three different National Security Advisers (NSA) during his public service. He is not new to intervening in public discourse and governance. He has done this from the regimes of General Ibrahim Babangida to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    His interventions amazingly led to the creation of key organs of governance like the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the Ministry of Niger Delta and the Presidential Amnesty Programme amongst a host of other adopted memos which are published as appendixes in his book “Making of an African Giant: State, Politics and Public Policy in Nigeria.” The sad part of it all was that his efforts were not even acknowledged when these and other organs of governments were formed – headed by people who knew next to nothing of their emergence.

    What further drew me to this gentleman was his absolute lack of bitterness. “Agbo, I am a patriotic Nigerian who wants the very best for the country I love dearly. I will never stop intervening on issues of public interest no matter the outcome. I believe one day my effort would be acknowledged,” he told me when we met in January this year for the first time.

    So why did he write the memo to President Buhari calling for the establishment of a National Poverty Eradication Commission when past efforts had failed? The executive summary of the memo titled: “Proposal for establishment of a national empowerment and inclusive growth commission to carter for 71% (seventy one percent) of Nigerians still in mass poverty, excluded from enjoying dividends of democracy and development in their own country” answers this.

    Its main thesis is that 71% of Nigerians living in mass poverty is indeed a time bomb. He backed it up by reminding the president that the “participation revolution” going on in the world has engulfed the Nigerian society as well. Social cleavages based on groups and social classes that had been docile, are now becoming very active or even militant. They are also asking not just for the form of democracy but also for its substance. “By social cleavages here, I mean, those divisions in the society that are based on ethnicity, religion, region, gender, class, race, language or even caste.”

    Prior to the memo, Dr. Mou had done extensive work on poverty and public policy analysis already published in several books, including: Making of an African Giant: State, Politics and Public Policy in Nigeria, Volumes 1 & 2; State Power, Agrarian Policies and Pleasant Welfare in Nigeria and other books. He argued that the economic, political and social problems challenging national security, development and the social order in Nigeria would get “better or worse, depending on what happens to poverty eradication, job creation and inclusive growth. In other words, it depends primarily on what happens to the 71% of Nigeria’s population still in poverty.”

    He pointed out that after the scraping of the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) – contrarily to the advice of the Stephen Orasanye Committee which had recommended merger with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), to create a National Empowerment and Employment Agency – there is no poverty eradication, job creation and inclusive growth Agency or Commission at the national level that can assist in the task of implementing the N500 Billion approved.

    He therefore made a strong case for the Federal Government to create a National Poverty Eradication, Job Creation and Inclusive Growth Commission to NAPEP that was scraped last year.

    So what are the other key policy recommendations made?  Subordinate groups, classes and other social cleavages hitherto very docile should be heard. “If avenues are not created by the Nigerian Government to allow them opportunities to participate in the developmental process, it could be grounds for political, social and economic instability that will further threaten our national security situation and development.”

    There is also the need to promote coordination, monitoring and valuation of poverty eradication, job creation and inclusive growth efforts at all levels of Government in Nigeria. “There is therefore, the great need for Nigeria to follow the example of South Africa, and other nations to establish a Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation. It should be part of its responsibility to keep a keen eye on how Nigeria is doing in the areas of poverty eradication, job creation and inclusive growth.  Without accurate data and analysis, the Government and other stakeholders may not be able to know how well or otherwise Nigeria is and will be doing in these and other areas.”

    He regrets that to date Nigeria has no National policy on poverty eradication, job creation and inclusive growth. “While serving as the Secretary of NAPEP, I had volunteered and produced a draft of such a National policy. I presented it to my colleagues and it was well received.  However, with my posting out of NAPEP shortly after that and the subsequent scraping of NAPEP, nothing has been done in that regard.  There is need for the Government to take immediate action on this matter.”

    The National Empowerment and Inclusive Growth Agency or Commission – when approved – “should be mandated to take over the staff, assets and liabilities of the scrapped National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP). That way, there will be no need to worsen the unemployment situation in the country by sacking any of the NAPEP staff currently being paid, but basically idle at the moment. It will also not cost the Government much to set it up in that NAPEP already has furnished offices, vehicles and other assets across the Nation that the Commission or Agency can simply takeover. It will also be given, the mandate to administer a part of the N500B already approved in the 2016 Budget.”

    Some of the key attributes of great leaders are their lack of bitterness and ability to see challenges before they emanate. I see traces of these in Dr. Mou and hope the government not only embrace his timely intervention, but get him involved.

     

     

  • How do we tackle poverty?

    “Good day Sir, please can you buy food for my family? Since yesterday we have not eaten anything. Nothing is too small, even one cup of garri. I am sorry to stress you, but have mercy on my wife and children. Account name… (Details withheld). You are our last hope now and we are looking at you as our small god, even one plate of food will help us. I am still looking for job, security or even houseboy…”

    I get SMS like this on a regular basis, most times I ignore them for obvious reasons; but sometimes I will feel compelled to call the number that sends such message because of the tone. In those instances, I often find people who are genuinely in need and are seeking for help from any source whatsoever. What this should tell us is that people are really going through tough times in our country.

    I know some reading this today might find it difficult to comprehend that there are people in our country who do not know where their next meal is going to come from. During one of her numerous trips to our village, a relative approached my mother and gave her his eight year old daughter to keep her company as long as she desires. He complained that he could no longer provide food for her and her siblings and the most sensible thing to do is to “share them out.” The poverty levels in most of our villages are beyond comprehension!

    Unfortunately, this eight year old girl has a terrible habit of scaling the fence to go out. My mother did all within her power to reform her but to no avail. Whenever she takes her back to her father in the village, she always meets a tearful response of “so how do I feed her?” But fearing the repercussions of something evil happening to the girl and her taking the blame, my mother had to painfully let go.

    There are millions of cases like these in our country and what this tells us is that poverty is on the rise and the current economic realities has further exacerbated it. Why are some people so poor that they can’t feed themselves? Why are there no safety nests in our system to cater for the vulnerable citizens in our midst? What is the nexus between corruption and poverty? Can good governance tackle poverty?

    According to the World Bank, the major indicators of poverty are: lack of freedom of action and choice; lack of adequate food, shelter, education and health; vulnerabilities to ill health; economic dislocation; maltreatment by public agencies; and exclusion from key decision-making processes and resources in society. Poverty is also the result of economic, political, and social processes that interact with each other and frequently reinforce each other in ways that exacerbate the deprivation in which people live. In essence, poverty is multidimensional.

    In their 2015 extensive report on corruption and poverty in Nigeria, ActionAid Nigeria delved into the issue of poverty and the role corruption plays in its continuous rise. Relying on a National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) figure, they put the percentage of Nigerians living below the poverty line at 69 per cent (112.47 million).

    The report titled “Study of the Relationship Between Poverty and Corruption in Nigeria” examined the relationship between poverty, corruption and social crisis. It analysed of how corruption affects different segments of the society; and the implication of these findings for social development.

    “Given the country’s enormous resources,” the report stated, “it is puzzling that such a huge portion of the populace lives in poverty. This vast incidence of poverty in the midst of plenty has severally been linked to the endemic corruption in the country, as it involves the massive stealing of resources that would have otherwise been invested in providing wealth-creating infrastructure for the citizens.

    “This perception is reinforced by an accepted position that corruption is a global incidence that tends to retard the growth of countries where it manifests. Corruption is also taken as having the tendency to exacerbate and cause conflicts, promote poverty, and impact negatively on the best use of human and natural resources. Some previous studies have shown that corruption remains a major hindrance to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.”

    Nigeria is considered to be one of the poorest countries in the world because it has some of the poorest human development indicators. In a bit to tackle poverty successive governments have rightly focused on rural development. These interventions – which date back to the 1970s – include the National Accelerated Food Production Programme and the Nigeria Agricultural and Cooperative Bank (NACB) by the Gowon administration in 1972 and 1973 respectively.

    The first Obasanjo regime came up with Operation Feed the Nation (OFN), an integrated rural development strategy proposed by the United Nations in 1976 which was followed by the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGS) in 1977.

    The civilian regime of Shehu Shagari came up with the Green Revolution Programme, with the main aim of curtailing food importation and boosting crop and fibre production in 1979. The Buhari/Idiagbon regime rolled out the Back to Land Programme in 1984. Others are: The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), The Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI), People’s Bank of Nigeria (PBN), Sure-P, YouWin etc.

    In the end, these programmes failed to have substantial impact on poverty levels and some, such as the Green Revolution, DFRRI, NDE were criticised for serving as conduits for enriching senior civil servants and military officers who acquired large tracts of land (for the Green Revolution) at the expense of peasant land owners.

    Intended to reduce poverty in the country, most of these interventions had faulty designs and implementations. For instance, while some lacked targets, others had extremely ambitious targets which failed to consider technical capacities and budgetary limitations. In addition, the targeted beneficiaries had either very limited or no participation in the planning and implementation of these interventions. Because some of these intervention programmes lacked focus, they ventured into too many activities and became unsustainable.

    Tackling poverty has been an age old battle, while others make inroads in this battle, the lack of sincerity and purpose has been our bane. Policies were rolled out as avenues to siphon public funds and not to really help the poor. The GIS programme of the last administration where names of fictitious graduates were used to fleece Nigeria is a classic example.

    China has shown that it is possible to lift 600 millions of people out of poverty within three decade. How did they achieve this? China invested in agriculture to reduce poverty and successful agricultural projects were built up from the grass roots. These were not top-down solutions. The Chinese government and World Food Programme selected the successful agricultural projects and implemented them throughout the nation.

    Data from the latest survey in the China Household Income Project shows that China has all but eradicated urban poverty. For a country with huge numbers of poor people streaming into its cities, many of whom living initially in conditions of abject misery, this is an extraordinary success. It has been achieved, in large part, because of a government subsidy paid to urban dwellers to bring incomes up to a minimum level of 4,476 yuan ($700).

    The question now is whether the government can repeat this success and eradicate extreme poverty entirely. The current economic and social five year plan (the country’s 12th) aims to eliminate all poverty by 2020 (10 years ahead of the newly agreed UN Sustainable Development Goal poverty eradication target.

    China has lifted more people out of poverty than anywhere else in the world: its per capita income increased fivefold between 1990 and 2000, from $200 to $1,000. Between 2000 and 2010, per capita income also rose by the same rate, from $1,000 to $5,000, moving China into the ranks of middle-income countries.

    Isn’t it high time we study how this was done? Of course, just like the ActionAid report shows there is a correlation between corruption and poverty so we have to address the issue first. We should adopt a growth pattern that enables poor people to have better livelihoods and to achieve equitable and sustainable development for all.

     

     

  • We must lift our people out of poverty – Buhari

    We must lift our people out of poverty – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed the commitment of his administration to lifting Nigerians out of poverty.

    President Buhari, who made this known on Tuesday when he declared open the Katsina State Economic and Investment summit in Katsina, described employment as “the quickest way to escape poverty’’.

    He, however, said that for that transformation to occur, every player, including the Federal Government “must do his best’’.

    “Employment is the quickest way to escape poverty. And we must lift our people out of poverty.

    “But for this laudable transformation to occur, every player must do his best, including the Federal Government, but in particular, the people and government of Katsina State.

    “For global players, some of whom I am pleased to see represented here, to take the deep plunge, they must be offered attractive incentives.

    “The Katsina State Government appears to make I can’t refuse offer to investors through a liberal set of tax incentives, infrastructural support, faster and shorter government responses to business requests.’’

    According to him, it is only through massive provision of employment opportunities that all tiers of government can reduce the level of poverty among the people.

    President Buhari, therefore, commended Gov. Aminu Masari for offering attractive incentives to local and foreign investors who would subsequently provide employment opportunities to the people of the state.

    He reiterated his determination to end poverty through ending corruption, broadly-shared economic growth, investing in the nation’s economy and creating jobs.

    The president noted that the overall objective of the summit, was to stimulate local investment and attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the manufacturing sector, agri-business, solid minerals, power, hospitality industry, and other services.

    “Creatively and purposefully applied, these should help to bridge gaps in capital, management skills and technology, where they are most severe, and support the competences of local companies and the workforce towards world standards.’’

    He said this would enable both local and foreign manufacturers and service companies alike, to stand with the best in servicing local and global markets.

    According to the President, these generous offers are the minimum required to attract the critical investor who is courted in every country and region of the world.

    “It is in this context that today’s Summit takes on an additional significance: APC Government of my home State has strongly embraced this vision by assembling the world to be part of this summit.

    “As I said, Federal Government alone cannot deliver on the high expectations of our people.

    “Katsina State Government and people have shown the way by assembling the brightest and best from the business world.

    “The brightest and the best from the development partner community; the best and the brightest from MDAs and regulatory bodies.

    “Katsina State is doing its part.’’

    The President, however, stated that economic progress must be tailored to environmentally safe and sustainable programmes.

    He said, “we should also keep an eye on the rights of the future generations who are as entitled as we are to their heritage of Nigeria.’’

    He maintained that, in this regard, the Federal Government would work with the Katsina state government in rationalising such actions to avoid over-laps or discontinuities or environmental damage.

    The President also enjoined the state governments to work closely with the private sector to enable them achieve “quickest, most efficient and sustainable path to industrialisation.’’

    “The private sector should be the engine of economic growth; it should be the largest investor in the economy; it should be the quickest, most efficient and sustainable path to industrialisation.’’

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that goodwill messages were delivered by local and prospective investors at the event.

    The event was witnessed by the governors of Zamfara, Kano, Lagos and Sokoto states as well as other dignitaries.

    Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State also announced the allocation of land to one of the prospective investors, who pledged to begin the construction of Tomato Paste Company within the next three months of the allocation.