Buhari’s Plan To Lift 100 Million Nigerians Out Of Poverty Not Sustainable- Group

The Economic Think-Tank Centre Limited has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to lift 100 million Nigerian’s out of poverty is not sustainable and may amount to false hope.

Emmanuel Abolo, the Director-General/Group Managing Director of the Economic Think Tank Centre said this on Channels TV Business Morning on Monday.

Abolo said, “Government should not promise anybody employment. Don’t promise anybody employment. Let the economy promise people employment.

“We must lay down the conditions under which the poverty reduction will succeed.”

Buhari had in June last year told the United Nations of its plans to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within the next 10 years.

Some analysts have described the plan as ‘ambitious.’

The plan is connected with the number of Nigerians living below poverty line at about 93 million out of over 200 million population, according to Oxfam.

As of December last year, over 23.2 million Nigerians were jobless, translating to 33.3 per cent.

That is up from 27.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2020, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Abolo said, “The government is promising about employment, taking people out of employment whether 100 million in ten years.

“What does that tell you? It tells you that some people will be unemployed for ten years, because if you are providing an employment of ten million every years, it means some people have up to eight years for them to be employed.

“Then add to that those who are graduating from the university and polytechnics will join, so we get into a vicious circle of poverty.”

Nigeria’s poverty and jobless figures is widening owing to the rising insecurity which has spread to different parts of the country.

The North has been threatened by the Boko Haram, herders-farmers crisis and banditry.

In the South secessionist groups have been accused of fueling insecurity in the region.

The DG said security issues needed to be tackled, adding “Without security, we should forget about poverty reduction.”

He added, “The other thing is stable energy supply. Inclusive governance is a perception.

“The reason why fire is burning all over the country is because of perceptions. Some people feel they have been excluded from the vision of this country. So can we go back to Federal Character principle that kept us together?”