ICC urges Govt on creating jobs and providing enabling environment for businesses – Raw Reporters
The Coordinator of the group, Comrade Josiah Omenuwoma in a statement conveyed by the Publicity Secretary, Comrade Oku Victory, noted that Nigeria’s poverty profile is grim and embarrassing for a country endowed with humongous human and natural resources.
His statement reads: “The Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics said in 2020 that 40% or 83 million Nigerians live below the country’s poverty line of 137,430 naira ($381.75) per year. Although Nigeria’s poverty profile for 2021 has not yet been released, it is estimated that the number of poor people will increase to 90 million, or 45% of the population, in 2022.
“If the World Bank’s income poverty threshold of $3.20 per day is used, Nigeria’s poverty rate is 71% compared to lower rates for some oil-producing developing countries like Brazil (9.1%), Mexico (6.5%), Ecuador (9.7%) and Iran (3.1%), this is grim.
“The Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics data suggest that the number of poor Nigerians exceeds the total population of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius and Eswatini combined.
“Eradicating Poverty is not just helping the poor but giving every man and woman the right to live with dignity. Persons living in poverty experience many interrelated and mutually reinforcing deprivations that prevent them from realizing their rights and perpetuate their poverty. Someone who hasn’t endured poverty will never fully understand it; it limits one of so many things beyond food, clothing and shelter. It limits one’s ability to see, think and dream of big things and the possibilities of it.
“Extreme Poverty anywhere is a threat to National Security anywhere (Kofi Annan). Poverty leaves people very vulnerable to poor nutrition as many Nigerians cannot afford even a meal out of three square meals daily, it encourages mass migration of people in search for greener pastures, crimes and other social vices. In the rural areas, women are more vulnerable to child marriage, unwanted pregnancies, prostitution and trafficking, drug abuse and death.
“Endemic poverty and entrenched inequalities have created openings for crimes and criminality and other forms of deviant behaviors in northern Nigeria while the entire country bear its cost in relation to growth and development.
“The entire north grapples with Boko-haram insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, pastoralists and herders violence. While other parts of the country have their insecurity challenges such as armed robbery, gang violence, and kidnapping, it is insignificant when compared to the contributions of northern Nigeria to national insecurity. With rising insecurity, there is food insecurity since most of the violence leads to displacements that affect many farming communities.
“On behalf of the Isoko Comrades Community, Worldwide, we are also using this occasion to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will; Resources to address global problems and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity.
“To Eradicate Poverty in Nigeria, we encourage our dear government to do more in terms of Free Education, Providing skills acquisition opportunities, Actively engaging youths in productive sectors of the economy with the right knowledge that will help them to fight and Eradicate Poverty.
“Government needs to fix electricity which is central to improving employment and to drive industrialization by providing more gas turbines to oil producing areas and off-grid power solutions to the other rural parts of the country.
“Aside the role of the Federal Government, the State and Local Governments must localize development policy to address unmet needs of the poor and the vulnerable in Nigeria.
“As we mark today, we sincerely commend all well-meaning Nigerians who have continually engaged in charitable activities in order to lift someone out of poverty. You are the real heroes”, he stated.
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