Combating income inequality in Nigeria

IN the Nigerian society of today, it is a known fact that the margin between the upper class, the middle class, and the lower class is so wide. The upper class, in this case, is always fuelling social tensions. We have increased crime rates in the society because many want to have what they lack by all means. The social unrest increases every day and we have protests from every quarter on a daily basis. This margin has caused so much economic instability, which in turn hinders economic growth. The lower class, unfortunately, has limited purchasing power. The grace to get what they need is not there due to financial constraints and because those in the upper class would rather choose to have it all than share. Corruption at different levels is also another factor that is causing more harm than good in messing up the economy and the ways of life of the people as a whole. Those in power, for example, oppress the people by using their influence to gather money and acquire wealth. The politician who came into your community canvassing for votes will begin to move around town in convoys and block every access to him once they get to the corridors of power. The typical rich man gets richer by making the poor pay more for services that are rendered.

The rich own business empires while the poor, get basic amenities by all means. Only the well-connected people get preferential treatment in this country, especially business-wise. Many contracts are being alleged go to those who knew someone in power or their families. An ordinary Nigerian cannot get such on a platter of gold. If we look at Nigeria critically, it is very obvious that some regions are experiencing great growth while others lag behind. Some regions, for instance, have better roads than other parts of the country. Some regions claim ownership of power and they do everything humanly possible to retain it. These are reasons why the country refuses to move forward and until drastic steps are taken to address income inequality, we will keep getting worried about sustainable development. There are many avenues by which we can curb this problem if we really desire a change as a nation. The government should begin to tax the rich at a higher rate than the poor. It should be ‘the richer you are, the higher your taxes and rates.’ This will limit unnecessary striving to amass wealth, knowing full well that it will amount to higher responsibility. The government should introduce unemployment benefits, giving the unemployed money monthly stipends as a means of sustenance till they can get a job.

Vulnerable citizens should be given access to health insurance as a means of support. Many die of health-related issues because they cannot afford medical bills. Both the rich and the poor should be able to go to any of our General Hospitals and be attended to without preference; hence, the need to improve access to quality healthcare and accessibility to all and sundry. The education sector needs to be focused on more than ever before. A lot of parents cannot send their children to certain schools because they simply cannot afford it. Some of these parents are striving but because of the fall in the economic life generally as far as the country is concerned, they cannot afford many necessities of life. There should be a law that prohibits public servants from sending their children abroad for education. Every politician must be made to have their children study in Nigeria. This may help in resuscitating the public schools which are eyesores. Many study under harsh conditions and a trip to some of the public primary schools in many states will establish the fact that the government needs to work more in that sector. There should be a focus on investing in quality education and vocational training that will help in equipping Nigerians with relevant skills and also allow them to have well-paid employment.

Sectors like agriculture and technology should be focused on as this will encourage entrepreneurship. No matter how we try to shy away from the truth, the wide gap between the rich and the poor will always fuel social tension, which will continue to lead to incessant protests and crime. The lower class and the poor unfortunately have limited means of purchasing their needs and it will continue to reduce demand. Government should encourage small-scale farmers with policies that would make land ownership less stressful which will boost the economy as far as agriculture is concerned. Government should also do all it can to make sure public resources are benefited by all citizens and not by a very few which is the case. There should be stricter punishments for public officers who are found guilty of corruption. There is also a need to strengthen and review our labour laws to align with international standards. Workers are not treated right at all and they bear the brunt of most of government policies. There should be available channels where workers can lay complaints without any fear of intimidation as they tend to contribute to the growth of the economy more than elected people: they are the workforce of the country and they pay taxes which are deducted from source whether they like it or not even when many amenities are not in place. They must go to work no matter how high transport fares are. How many politicians queue at petrol stations? Yet, workers go out to queue just to make sure they are able to get to work. Those that don’t have cars spend so much on transportation and still aren’t valued as they ought to.

There is a great need to check all these things and implement them so as to have a better country, where everyone will be proud to be called ‘Fellow Nigerians’ and they will respond with pride.

• Ishola is on the staff of Nigerian Tribune

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