President Muhammadu Buhari, has on Tuesday, at the virtual United Nations, UN, outlined the Federal Government’s plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within the next 10 years, .
The President spoke in a video message to a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly on poverty eradication.
The virtual meeting featured the launch of the Alliance for Poverty Eradication, APE.
At least, 94 million Nigerians live below the poverty line, according to Oxfam.
The APE is designed to serve as a forum to galvanise UN member States, the International community, and other Stakeholders, to support actions geared towards poverty eradication.
President Buhari welcomed the launch of the Initiative, and expressed Nigeria’s endorsement of all multilateral actions aimed at actualising the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.
His words: “Nigeria attaches great importance to poverty eradication.
“It is for this reason that in May, 2019, on my inauguration for a second term in Office, our government committed itself to starting a new programme of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, within a 10-year period.
“It is my conviction that devoting our efforts towards human capital development, efficient management of our resources, greater financial inclusion, and transformation of the agricultural sector to ensure food security, are crucial to poverty eradication.
“In this regard, Nigeria continues to strengthen its existing social safety net initiative, by increasing access to enrollees who fit the various programmes in the Scheme.
“Nigeria will also continue to provide easier and increased access to financial services for micro and small-scale businesses, through the government’s Enterprise and Empowerment Programme.”
The President expressed his administration’s determination to do more, including massive investment in education, especially of the girl-child.
“Nigeria holds the view that education is a critical driver of sustainable development, and has immense capacity to eradicate poverty.
“Educating our children, especially the girl child, contributes significantly to the fight against poverty, environmental sustainability, and improved health, as well as building peace and resilient societies.”
Speaking further, President Buhari said that the Federal Government had also integrated the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of the SDGs, into its economic plans.
He decried the adverse economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, which he said is threatening to reverse decades of progress made in poverty eradication.
The President added that in Nigeria, as is the case in many other countries, the “domestic supply chains and trading corridors had come under enormous strain”.
According to him, the situation is dire for Sub-Saharan countries with large informal economies, and a significant number of daily wage earners.
President Buhari noted that the potential economic devastation of the pandemic, has made it a national development priority.
In response to the challenges posed by Covid-19, he stated that the government recently developed an economic sustainability plan.
The plan, he said, would stimulate the economy, and extend protection to the very poor and other vulnerable groups, through pro-poor spending.
The President lauded the over 30 UN member States, anchoring the Alliance for Poverty Eradication.
“In these difficult times, it takes considerable boldness and courage to consider that which is in the interest of the greater good.
“The anchor members have done just that”, he noted.