Benefits of poverty eradication

IT will be stating the obvious when we say that poverty has had a ruinous effect on our national life and is still doing so. This disease has been in the system for far too long and so many have given up eradicating it. In Nigeria today, there is a striking difference between the poor and the rich. Nigeria’s poverty index pushes beyond the realm of finance. There is also the poverty of the mind and poverty of ideas.

Whether in the North, South, East or West, poverty in Nigeria is a common issue and since it is common, all hands must be on deck to ensure that it is brought to a minimal level.

In recent times, poverty eradication projects like the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP), Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES), Rural Infrastructure Development (RIDS), Social Welfare Services Scheme (SOWESS) and the National Resources Development and Conservation Scheme (NRDCS) were all put in place with the aim of mitigating poverty.

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Others are Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) by the Obasanjo led military government, the Green Revolution by the civilian government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFFRI), Nigerian Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and the Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP) all established during the regime of General Babangida and General Sani Abacha. However, despite all the schemes initiated by successive governments, Nigeria, according to international indices, still ranks among countries with very high population of people living below the poverty line.

Nigeria is said to have one of the highest growth rates when it comes to its economy, however, this does not reflect in the welfare of the citizens. Nigeria is a developing and commercial country that has a lot of natural resources. With so many resources, Nigeria should have risen above the scorching bite ofpoverty.

The government should provide the right policies for privately owned enterprises in the country; the government must have plans and a workable budget for the economy and see it through. Government officials must be held responsible for the growth or otherwise of our country.

• Salami Sheriff, abdulsalamsheriff2018@gmail.com.