An economic analyst based in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Prof Oboada Uriah, has said that only a collaboration between the government,  the private sector and civil society was capable of reducing the number of Nigerians living in abject poverty.
Uriah, a lecturer at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, who spoke with The Tide in an interview at the weekend in Port Harcourt, noted that Nigeria ranked tops in the global ratings of people living below the poverty line.
He said government, the private sector and all stakeholders needed to intensify investment efforts to ensure that the living standards of the citizens improved
According to him, more than 40% of the Nigerian populace are extremely poor and recalled that the federal government had pledged that it would lift 100 million out of poverty within 10 years at an average of 10 million yearly.
Uriah stated however, that to achieve the federal government’s pledge , a collaboration between the government, private sector and civil society was pivotal
The Professor of Economics urged the federal government to create multiple entry points where local and international influencers would enter and join hands to bring about new and modern financing models, creative partnerships and technology to reduce poverty to its barest minimum.
Uriah insists that to reduce extreme poverty in the country and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, private sector participation was paramount to the implementation of the SDGs.

By: Tonye Nria-Dappa