By Abba Dukawa
During Democracy Day National Address to the Nation by President Buhari to mark 22 years of civilian dispensation in the country claimed the administration has lifted 10m out of poverty in the two last years.
But days after president’s speeche, World Bank reports says the rising prices in the country have pushed an estimated 7 million Nigerians below the poverty line in 2020 alone.
In fact Nigerians are languishing in extreme poverty battling daily survival became uphill challenge due to unprecedented skyrocketing of essential commodities , peoples going through in the country reaching highest since in the late 80s. For one to understand the poverty in the country can go to market stalls to listen the peoples conversation even without listening them one may see anger registered in their faces.
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 let alone Government claiming to have of lifted 10m people out of poverty.
According to 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.
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Nigerians never expect 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.
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 infrastructural development recorded especially in the southern part of the country.
PMB’s administration introduced many programs to alleviate economic hardship to Nigerians like Anchor Borrowers Programme and Conditional Cash Transfer Program. Unfortunately briefcase farmers and those close to the power benefited much than real pleasant and small scale farmers. Same with Conditional Cash Transfer Program that targets poor and vulnerable households all targets citizens .
Reviving Nation’s Economy which is the one of the three cardinal promises PMB made before the electorates remain a herculean tasks. Lack of clear economic policies scare Foreign Investment coupled with weak Naira , 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 . 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.
There was no government in Nigeria history that have enjoyed citizens goodwill like the present administration. There was a time which is a crime before to criticise Baba Buhari’s administration.
Anybody who criticise the administration openly would surely ended up with nose bleeding especially from enthusiastic supporters of the regime who thought the administration would turn poor people into rich overnight and turn rich ones in the society to poor overnight. The case remain other way around poor remain poorer while rich became richer.
To be honest the adminstration Poverty Reduction efforts will continue to remain inclusive due to execution challenges, high level of Inflation, unemployment rate, high rate of money landing and other factors. Those entrusts with public offices may not necessarily remain honest to tell truth to the leaders on the true situation on the ground.
For the sake of history and the country to judge the administration fairly, let captain of the ship regain his past hard earn status of being a strong and No non Sense General . About half of 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. Let the president do anything 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
