Buhari To Lift 10 Million Nigerians Out Of Poverty In 10 Years – Lai

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that president Muhammadu Buhari would lift ten million Nigerians out of poverty before the end of his second tenure.

Lai stressed that the Buhari led Federal government was working towards eradicating poverty out of the country through various policies and programs.

He made this known at the organized event to mark the 2019 World Poverty Eradication Day, in Abuja on Thursday.

It could be recalled that the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed on October 17 each year, since 1993.

The minister stressed the importance of security to eradicating poverty out of the land. Adding that, fighting corruption was directly linked to eradicating poverty.

Lai said “Without security, there can be no economic activities that will prosper the citizens and liberate them from poverty.

“The emphasis on fighting corruption is also directly linked to eradicating poverty because if funds meant for development are misappropriated and looted, it will lead to poverty.

“The administration has also focused on revamping the economy and creating more jobs to fight poverty.”

Lai noted that the Buhari administration had taken cogent steps towards tackling poverty in Nigeria.

He said “especially the social intervention programme in which millions of Nigerians are benefiting”.

“The most vulnerable victims of poverty are the women and children and they are the direct beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer and the One Meal per Day.

“For the first time in the history of the country, in the last four years, 30 per cent of our budget was reserved for capital projects which has helped to create jobs and provide more infrastructure.”

Lai noted that the walk which had in attendance, representatives of the United Nations, NGOs and government officials was a symbolic way of walking out poverty out of Nigeria.

The Minister said “The idea is to symbolically say that we are walking poverty out of Nigeria.

“This is in sync with President Buhari’s determination to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.”