Can Poverty Reduced In The Midst Of Skyrocketing Price achieve?
During Democracy Day National Address to the Nation by President Buhari claimed his administration has lifted 10m out of poverty in the two last years. Barely days after president’s claimed, World Bank reports stated rising prices in the country have pushed an estimated 7 million Nigerians below the poverty line in 2020 alone.
About 100 million Nigerians, or half the population, live on less than $1(N500) per day, unemployment rate has rising to 32.5 and also Nigeria had overtaken India as the country with the largest number of people living in extreme poverty.
Everyday Nigerians lamented rising cost of living as food prices soar at 12.56%. With all sense of highest esteem to Mr President, the level of poverty in the country is unspeakable talk less of lifted –farmers, Small-scale Traders, artisans, market women and other people out of poverty.
According to the reports released by National Statistic Bureau the rise in the food index was broad based, caused by increases in prices of bread, egg, beans, rice, yam, Fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables. Nigerians never expects such kind hardship as country’s inflation rate rose further in June 2020 to 12.56% (Year-on-Year), 0.16% points higher than the rate recorded in May 2020 (12.4%) as country’s inflation rate rose further each passing day. In reality Food inflation across the federation is worse than official Bureau figures show.
Enough of Polarization of the Local Security Outfits – Abba Dukawa
Nigerians are languishing in extreme poverty battling with daily survival became uphill challenge due to unprecedented hardships peoples going through in the country reaching highest since in the late 80s.
For the administration to reduce the level of poverty in the country federal government should focus on three Policy Priorities which include: “Reduce Inflation by Implementing Policies That Support Macroeconomic Stability, Inclusive Growth, And Job Creation; Protect poor households from the impacts of inflation; Facilitate access to financing for small and medium enterprises in key sectors to mitigate the effects of inflation and accelerate the recovery. World Bank advice
It will be highest injustice for anybody not to acknowledge many PMB’s programs to alleviate economic hardship to Nigerians but targets citizens are not much benefits. Reviving Nation’s Economy which is the one of the three cardinal promises PMB made before the electorates remain Herculean tasks.
Nigerians are worrying each passing day over the increasing debt burden reached unprecedented level as it increased by N191 billion in the first quarter of this year, representing a 0.58 percent increase from N32.916 trillion as of December 31, 2020.
Lack of clear economic policies scare Foreign Investment coupling with weak Naira while the country slum into recession twice while financial and economic policies of the administration do not favor the masses that spent hours under the sun to vote the administration
To be honest adminstration Poverty Reduction efforts will only remain inclusive due to the level of soar Inflation, unemployment rate, high rate of money landing and other factors.
Those entrusts with public offices may not necessarily remain honest to tells truth to the leaders on the true situation on the ground. One may go to market stalls to listen peoples conversation even without listening them one may see the anger in their faces.
For sake of history and the country to judge the administration fairly, let captain of the ship regain his past hard earning status of being a strong and No Non Sense General, Let him do any things to prevent the worst happening in remaining two years of the administration.
Dukawa Write In From Kano And Can Be Reached At abbahydukawa@gmail com
