Founder and vision bearer of Arewa New Agenda (ANA), Senator Ahmad Abubakar Moallayidi has revealed that despite Nigeria position as the sixth Major oil producing nation in ranking in the world, 86.9 million Nigerians out of an estimated 200 million are living in extreme poverty.
Abubakar made the revelation during a follow-on conference; Tackling poverty in Northern Nigeria with the theme;” Moving Households from vulnerability to prosperity using the pathway to prosperity approach.
According to him 85% of the poverty index are in Northern Nigeria despite Past efforts at enhancing the confidence of the people to take critical step out of poverty is faced with some very worrying socio-economic indices which includes; illiteracy, high maternal morality, child mortality, poverty and under development.
Abubakar who was the convener of the event held at the Niger Hall of the international conference center Abuja called on Federal and state government to intervene on the rattling economy downturns effecting the country, especially the Northern region.
Abubakar while talking to high profiled Personalities from the Northern region of the likes of the former secretary to the government of the Federation, Mallam Mahmud Yayale Ahmed (Ajiyan Katagun), Former Governors of Zamfara and Bauchi (Isah Yugudu, Isa Ahmed Yeriman Bukura) serving and Former Senators and leaders of thoughts from the North said the one day dialogue is about Renewed hope as the road to ending poverty in Nigeria.
The former Senator to have represented Adamawa Northern Senatorial District Said consistent ability and capacity to design and implement interventions across different social and economic sectors to support households to escape the poverty trap remains a major challenge.
He said the challenge can be headlong faced if ANA through government support and intervention can use its seasoned members who are development strategists and specialists who have led interventions for the provision of services that helped very vulnerable families to diversify income sources, implement strong and comprehensive nutrition that will enable them move along and climb the ladder of the pathway to prosperity.
Abubakar outlined ANA’s seven Propositions as a solution to tackle poverty in Northern Nigeria to include;
Prosperity approach, farming and agriculture approach, Solid Minerals, training the youths on renewable energy systems, passing on the gift (a social intervention concept), tissue culture for propagation of seedlings (a simplified neglected intervention) and the domestication and taking advantage/benefit from the Nigeria start-up act 2022 business.
Abubakar reiterated that ANA’s position as a forum that is striving to provide solutions to the challenges facing the north and by extension Nigerian will never be tired of calling on all concern to wake up from sleeping to rescue the Northern region.
“We will not relent in this effort as we are optimistic that the inherent potential for greatness that this country has is real and attainable.” Abubakar Said
