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Nigeria’s Rising Poverty’ll Increase Crime, Experts Warn

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Nigerians are alarmed at the report of the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI) which revealed that 63per cent or 133million Nigerians are poor.
According to the last census conducted in Nigeria in 2006 (16 years ago) Nigeria’s population was put at 200million.
However, the report did not state if the population figure was based on the 2006 census or the World Bank’s estimate of 2016.
But whether it was based on Nigeria’s 200million population or not, experts are alarmed at the report, saying that if urgent steps are not taken to address the ugly situation, the future is bleak for everybody.
President, Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN), Dr Segun Adaju, said that the level of poverty would engender a high crime rate.
He urged the government to do something urgently.
“The report that has just been released was arrived at with a yardstick called Multidimensional Poverty Index. Before now, the yardstick was the National Living Standard Survey (NLSS) which result said that about 82.9million Nigerians are poor. That result covered only income or financial for people living below $1 per day.
“But the multi-dimensional poverty index uses many other factors which include, not only financial but education, child, health. That means that we have been underrating the level of poverty in Nigeria by just using economic factors alone. With MPI we have more poor people than we think and it’s a dangerous trend. It’s worrisome that we have 133million Nigerians that are poor by that index. It’s something that any reasonable government or even individuals like you and I should be worried about.
“There will be high increase in crime. Somebody who’s poor can do anything to survive. Government should sit down and take a drastic look at the situation. Otherwise, the future is a write-off,” he said.
In his remarks, Secretary General, Arewa Consultative Forum, Murtala Aliyu, advised that the Federal Government should devolve power to lower levels and that state levels must ensure that local governments work.
“My own take is that government should re-engineer governance itself and take activities towards the local governments. If that figure is correct that means the government should devolve power to lower levels and that state levels also must ensure that local governments work. When that happens poverty will drastically be reduced and quickly too.”
But the President, Coalition of South-East Youth Leaders, (COSEYL), Hon Goodluck Ibem, deferred from the report, arguing that in view of the level of devastations in the North as a result of insecurity, the figure is a far cry from what the report presented.
He put the actual figure of poverty at 150million instead of 133million.
“That report is not accurate. About 150million Nigerians are poor. In the North the level of insecurity has reduced many people to poverty. The northerners are mainly farmers. They are no longer going to farm. Insecurity there has made it impossible for them to go to farm.
“When somebody cannot fend for himself it means he’s poor. So, the level of poverty is higher than what the report is saying. So, poverty is as a result of poor leadership by the All Progressives Congress (APC). President Muhammadu Buhari brought poverty upon Nigerians. And it’s very unfortunate that the same person is also campaigning for his party to be re-elected. I wonder what they have to tell Nigerians,” he said.
The World Bank in its 2016, poverty survey, had rated Nigeria the poverty capital of the world, saying that four in every 10 Nigerians live below the poverty income of $1.9 per day.
The World Bank’s sobriquet on Nigeria led to a series of surveys by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
According to the bank, with Nigeria’s population growth continuing to outpace poverty reduction, the number of Nigerians living in extreme poverty is set to rise by 7.7million between 2019 and 2024.
While the economy is projected to grow at an average of 3.2per cent in 2022-2024, the growth outlook is subject to downside risks including further declines in oil production and heightened insecurity.
Meanwhile, continued scarcity of foreign exchange and tighter liquidity could affect the economic activity in the non-oil sector and undermine the overall macroeconomic stability.
The uncertainty is also expected to be accompanied by high inflation and continued fiscal and debt pressures.
Consequently, in 2018/9, NBS conducted a Nigerian Living Standards Survey (NLSS) where it reported that only 40.1per cent Nigerians were poor.
The same year, the bureau conducted a Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) which was a subset of NLSS and about 82.9million Nigerians were reported to be in extreme poverty.
Notwithstanding the result of the survey, President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2018, promised to lift 100million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
This implies that in his personal survey and calculation, there are more poor than the survey’s report, an indictment that led to another round of survey – the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI) – the result of which was launched on November 17, 2022.
The survey which was sponsored by European Union, Canada, United Nations, UNICEF, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and OPHI University in United States, revealed that out of over 200million Nigerians, 133million are multi-dimensionally poor.
This means that they experience deprivations in more than one dimension or in, at least, 26per cent of weighted indicators.
According to the document, over half of the population are deprived in cooking fuel and high deprivations are also apparent in sanitation, time to healthcare, food insecurity and housing.
The report also explained that multidimensional poverty is higher in rural areas with 72per cent of people poor compared to 42per cent of people in urban areas.
Meanwhile, 70per cent of Nigeria’s population live in rural areas while 80per cent of poor people and their intensity of poverty is also higher – 42per cent in rural areas compared to 37per cent in urban areas.
Whereas 65per cent of the poor (86million) Nigerians, live in the north, 35per cent (47million) live in the South.
“Poverty levels across states vary significantly with the incidence of multidimensional poverty ranging from a low 27per cent in Ondo to a high of 91per cent in Sokoto.
“Seventy-one per cent of people living in households with at least one person living with a disability (PLWD) are poor compared to 62per cent of people who live in households where no one is living with a disability” the report, said, adding that 29per cent of all school-age children are not attending school and 94per cent of all out-of-school are poor.
“Thus, 27per cent of all school-age children are both poor and out of school (with no significant gender disparities)” the report said.
The document noted that the purpose of National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI) is to be used as a policy tool but it’s not expected to reduce poverty.
“Leadership and a strong commitment to this purpose is needed to go further than measurement,” the document noted.
Excited with the result, Buhari promised that henceforth the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI) would be used to allocate resources for national development.
Speaking at the launch of the NMPI in Abuja, the president who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, also noted that the NMPI would be integrated in the National Social Register to facilitate better targeting for social intervention.
“At the federal level, these results will be used to influence the allocation of resources going forward, particularly to target sectors where most citizens suffer deprivations.
“The MPI is not our only data on poverty, combining the insights provided by MPI results with data from the income poverty measurement, it provides a holistic picture of poverty, and helps to shape the path towards shared prosperity,” he said.
According to the president, the multidimensional way of understanding poverty has been helpful in highlighting beyond monetary/income-based poverty measurements, the stark realities of poverty in each state and across the 109 senatorial districts.
The incidence of monetary poverty, he said, is lower than the incidence of multidimensional poverty across most states where 40.1per cent of people are poor according to the 2018/19 national monetary poverty line, but 63per cent are multi-dimensionally poor according to the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report.
Furthermore, the report shows that multi-dimensional poverty is higher in rural areas, where 72per cent of people are poor, compared to 42per cent of people in urban areas.
Buhari explained that globally, people that are most vulnerable to poverty are very often women and children, while commending the report for including child poverty.
“It is, therefore, commendable to see that this report also includes child poverty numbers. Children are a strategic population of concern, as nearly half of all Nigerians are children under the age of 18. Two-thirds (67.5per cent) of children aged 0–17 are poor according to the National MPI, and half (51per cent) of all poor people are children.
“This government recognises the importance of the data and the need to deploy it in sharing your story to a broad spectrum of stakeholders, both domestically and internationally. One way we have started this engagement was at the recent United Nations General Assembly where Nigeria co-hosted the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network (MPPN) and shared lessons learned from other 100 member countries. However, this is just the start. Internally, we have now deployed a comprehensive Data Demand and Use (DDU) strategy to embed the use of evidence-based and data- driven poverty reduction mechanisms,” he said.

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Shettima In Ethiopia For State Visit 

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Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.

Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.

Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”

During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.

The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.

In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.

 

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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers

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The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.

 

This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.

 

The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.

 

The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.

 

Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.

 

The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.

 

He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.

 

According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the  financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts  inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.

 

At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.

 

He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.

 

Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.

 

According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.

 

At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.

 

He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.

 

Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.

 

He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.

 

However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.

 

At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.

 

He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.

 

Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.

 

Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.

 

In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.

 

At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.

 

Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.

 

Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.

 

John Bibor

 

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Tinubu Orders Civil Service Personnel Audit, Skill Gap Analysis 

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President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.

The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.

“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.

Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.

He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.

“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.

President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.

He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.

“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.

“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.

Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.

Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.

She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.

Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.

 

 

 

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