Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the Federal Government will use a common-sense strategy to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
He stated this in Abuja on Friday when he chaired the inaugural meeting of the National Steering Committee of the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on June 22, 2021, inaugurated the committee tasked with driving the target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement, said the vice president expressed optimism that the committee would achieve rapid progress.
The vice president said plans to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years would not be based on a business as usual approach, but a very simple, common-sense strategy that would deliver results.
“In order not to make this merely another of those high-sounding committees that eventually achieve nothing, we have to be very intentional about our objectives and how to achieve them.
“I really want us to approach this as much as possible, commonsensically, so that we are able to resolve all the issues and focus on the real progress.
“I want us to look beyond all of what we are going to be doing, there is going to be a considerable amount of paperwork, but a lot of common sense is what grows economies.
“It is what other countries have done, not really reinventing the wheel. So, I want us to focus on those commonsensical things so that we can actually move forward,” Osinbajo was quoted as saying.
He cited the example of Bangladesh where a poverty reduction strategy was also implemented, adding that the country’s manufacturing sector was key.
According to him, Bangladesh actually exports more garments than Nigeria exports oil.
“Countries that have managed to get out of poverty have created a lot of jobs through industries, and they have developed intentional strategies.
“We must look at what others have done, the smart things that other people have done, and adopt.
“We really have to think smartly about how we are funding agriculture.
“I think we really need to take a deep dive because governments have made several efforts at poverty alleviation but generally speaking, they have not yielded the sort of results they should yield.
“And I think it is because there is a lot of focus on documentation and paperwork and very few commonsense approaches.”
He emphasised that it was a national strategy as opposed to a federal strategy which was why the steering committee was made up of federal as well as state officials.
Members of the NSC in attendance included Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, who is also Nigeria Governors Forum Chairman; and Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Ministers of Agriculture, Muhammad Nanono; Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo; and Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; also attended the meeting.
(NAN)
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