Tanko Mohammed<\/p>\n\n\n
President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted the proposal to set up National Council on Poverty and reported his administration\u2019s ambitious policy of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.<\/p>\n\n\n
The policy, he said, did not come by accident or \u201csomething we just bumped into\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n
He said the policy was a deliberate one that would be pursued with remarkable grit and determination.<\/p>\n\n\n
He spoke on Tuesday at a meeting with the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), which was also attended by Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo at the State House in Abuja.<\/p>\n\n\n
President Buhari agreed with the Council that the country required a poverty reduction strategy that will usher in a \u201crapid, sustained, sustainable and inclusive economic growth.<\/p>\n\n\n
In a short speech after the presentation of the report on national poverty reduction strategy, developed by the PEAC, President Buhari requested the PEAC to present the document to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) tomorrow as part of the consultation process.<\/p>\n\n\n
He also agreed with the Council that this ambitious program of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty is a challenging one, but one that can be achieved.<\/p>\n\n\n
The President wondered what became of the nation in the past, \u201cwith all the resources available to it\u201d that no such coordinated, holistic agenda on poverty reduction was ever contemplated.<\/p>\n\n\n
\u201cI was shocked, hearing from you that, of the vast agricultural land resources available to the nation, only two percent of it is under irrigation. We will make the best use of the land. <\/p>\n\n\n
“Thank you for shaking us up. We are now awake, we will not doze off again. We didn\u2019t just bump into this, we believe it is something we can deliver on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
After listening to the PEAC Chairman, Professor Doyin Salami, who led the presentation, President Buhari cleared the way for Ministers to be briefed on the implementation plan at the FEC meeting on Wednesday, 24th February 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n
The plan, which Professor Salami said had so far gained an overwhelming approval of stakeholders across the country had earlier been presented to the Vice President; Secretaries to Government of all the 36 States, and the Governors at the National Economic Council; Development Partners, including the World Bank, IMF and AfDB; Civil Society Organisations and the Organised Private Sector actors in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n
The PEAC Chairman welcomed the country\u2019s exit from recession but cautioned that the strength of the economic growth must be driven in a way that it will overtake population growth.<\/p>\n\n\n
The poverty reduction strategy, as presented, requires the nation to aim to raise agricultural productivity; to address the wide disparity among States and the regions in the distribution of poverty.<\/p>\n\n\n
It would ensure macro-economic stability; and to take advantage of the different economic endowments of the country in the promotion of industrialisation.<\/p>\n\n\n
The strategy benefited from extensive consultations among all stakeholders in both the Public and Private sectors to achieve \u201cownership and sustainability\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n
In defining principles of the new strategy, the PEAC said the approach will be multi-dimensional. \u201cPoverty is not only the lack of cash. It is defined by lack of access to shelter, health, education and jobs which must all be addressed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
While nothing that there had in the past been varied attempts to eradicate poverty in the country, the Council submitted that this was the first time that \u201cwe are consolidating on the achievements of the past and avoiding past mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n
“I is the first time that everyone is coming on board \u2013 Federal Government, States, the Private Sector, Development Partners and the Civil Society. Poverty reduction must not be left to the Federal Government alone, it is everybody\u2019s responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
To this effect, the Council suggested the setting up of a \u201cNational Council on Poverty Reduction,\u201d made up of all these stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n
Tanko Mohammed President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted the proposal to set up National Council on Poverty and reported his administration\u2019s ambitious policy of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty. The policy, he said, did not come by accident or \u201csomething we just bumped into\u201d. He said the policy was a deliberate one that would […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[296],"tags":[88],"class_list":["post-28390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-economic","tag-poverty","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"yoast_head":"\n