From Washington, Accra, Abuja and elsewhere, global leaders participating in the 12th Annual Centre for Values in Leadership Lecture/Symposium at Muson Centre in Lagos whose theme for 2015 was “Leadership and the Challenge of ultra-poverty:Transforming the poorest of the poor” have called for solidarity with the poor. Charging that the ultra-poor are wrapped in the dignity of their creator and can be a great asset to society, CVL Founder, Prof. Pat Utomi welcomed the capacity packed audience and contributions by the chairman, former US Congressman Jerry Weller, Ghana’s Minister f or Food and Agriculture, Hon. Fiifi Kwetey, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin represented by UNFPA Country Director in Nigeria, Ms. Ratidzai Ndhlove, former Ekiti Sate Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and PDP Gubernatorial candidate in Lagos Jimi Agbaje amongst others.
They identified lack of investment in education and agriculture as a major factor responsible for increased poverty level in Nigeria, especially among women and children. They therefore, called on Government, Civil Society and the Private sector to invest in education and agriculture, especially in women and children as a means of eradicating poverty in Nigeria and Africa in general.
In his welcoming address, Political Economist and Founder of CVL, Prof. Pat Utomi identified the fight against poverty as something that is fundamental to human progress. He said that we are created as human beings, gift to one another and can create a just world where there will be enough opportunity available to all. One of the focus points of CVL Mission is to help young people to take on social challenges which comes from a sensitivity to burden for a certain challenge. This burden translates to a vision of a better tomorrow and result in leadership mission. The annual lecture brings light to sources of such burden. Last year and this year was about poverty which has led him to spending time at such NGO as BRAC in Bangladesh whose experience includes strategies for supporting the ultra-poor.
Utomi remarks were followed by those of Hon. Gerald Craig Jerry Weller who chaired the annual lecture. He identified education as key to eradicating poverty in Nigeria. . He gave startling statistics about poverty as it affects children in Nigeria. He pointed out that malnutrition is the underline cause of death and diseases among children in Nigeria. 50% of under 5 children die of starvation and malnutrition. 41% or 11 million children are stunted due to malnutrition. According to UNICEF, Nigeria ranks second in number of stunted children in the world. 2300 children under the age of 5 die every day due to starvation. Hon. Weller said that a child who can read has a higher chance of survival and also the opportunity to increase her family’s income by 20%. He said that women invest more of what they earn in their family than men.
Educated women prioritize issues like education, nutrition, good food and healthcare.
A little girl given education can change the world. He talked about the CVL Gift a child project as a pro-poor free education initiative that provides at least one free meal to a child at N137 per day. He urged Nigerians to sponsor one child with N50, 000 per year. He made a personal donation in the name of his daughter to sponsor one child to school, through the CVL quality education for the poor for free.
In his own well received presentation, Hon. Fiifi Kwetey (Minister for Food and Agriculture Ghana) stressed the importance of Agriculture and Food Security in eradication poverty in Nigeria. He identified Agriculture as the cornerstone for poverty reduction in Africa. He also stressed the importance of paradigm shift in the approach to agriculture in Africa. Hon. Kwetey opined that the private sector is the chief cornerstone of the continent’s transformation, and that growth and investment in agriculture is 11 times more effective in reducing poverty than in any other sector. 1% increase in GDP per capital in agriculture sector reduces the poverty gap 5 times more than 1% increase in GPD per capital in other sectors.
These points were reinforced by Ms. Ratidzai Ndhlove (UNFPA) who in her speech stated that young people and women are among the poorest of the poor people. She recall a global call for African leaders to recognize women and young people as development partners instead of recipients of development package by creating platforms for engagement. The need for social protection policy for the most vulnerable is non-negotiable. Every young person has the right to education; right to life, freedom of expression and of religion. Young people are deprived of their rights and they end up in vicious circle of poverty. She called on the government, the civil society and the general public to investment in women and girls as this is the key to transforming the poorest of the poor. She said that government must ensure strategic investment at house-hold level in women and girls to eradicate poverty.
On his own part, the former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi spoke from his experience as Governor of a state that implemented a social safety net. He emphasized social protection and agriculture as keys to eradicating poverty. He spoke about the inequality in many things across Nigeria which leads to poverty in many parts of Nigeria. He talked about the less than 1% of Nigerian elite population who consumes 80% of the proceeds of Nigeria oil income leading to structural dysfunction of the Nigerian, as it becomes possible for a very few elite to exploit the majority of Nigerians.
He called on Nigerians to take a holistic approach to poverty eradication which must include fight in the areas of food security, environmental security and climate change.
He stated that there is a link between poverty and corruption in Nigeria and government has important role to play in lifting people out of poverty. Dr. Fayemi spoke from the perspective of the social democrat orientation of his party the All Peoples Congress, APC.
In a competing vein, the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Lagos, Jimi Agbaje in his speech pointed out that we all have a common purpose of developing our communities and our country. He said that we have the responsibility to fight poverty, and that education is the key to fighting poverty in Nigeria. He spoke about the need to have the right values to be able to help the less educated by getting our education strategies right so as to eradicate poverty. Jimi Agbaje spoke about the need for the ultra-poor to be educated as that will be a major step in lifting them out of poverty. He also called on government, civil society and every one of us to see education as a key instrument of poverty eradication. He stated the need for improved technical and vocational education. He admonished all to work on education as a means to fighting poverty through providing the poor with the right skills and vocations.
The event also included testimonies and an unveiling of CVL events and programmes for 2015. In her testimonial, Dr. Megor Ikuenobe who leads an NGO committed to improving nutrient intakes by undernourished ultra-poor children around Benin, which has been mentored by Prof. Pat utomi and has collaborative programmes with CVL made a presentation on their experience while two widows from the CVL Widow Support Centre founded b Prof. Pat Utomi in 1999, talked of micro-credit schemes and vocational skills training which enabled them to overcome difficult times.
In her remarks, Dr. Ikuenobe highlighted the relationship between poverty, malnutrition and child mortality. The ultra-poor people suffer from malnutrition and most children are stunted and die due to lack of nutrients. Improved child nutrition will improve the rate of child survival among the ultra-poor community.
Following from that, CVL Community and Social Mobilisation Manager Adtoun Oluwole Adetoun Oluwole informed the participants about the two major projects for this year.
CVL Social intervention project which targets the poorest of the poor in Nigerian communities to help them move above their current economic and social conditions.
She explained about the basic education project for ultra-poor children below the age of 12 to offer them quality education. The other project is the CVL life empowerment initiative for 100 bus conductors and garage boys transforming them to self-employed entrepreneurs and transporters. She called on the participants to subscribe as enablers to collaborate with CVL to bring about positive change in the lives of many poor children of the ultra-poor communities
KEY ISSUES FROM THE ANNUAL LECTURE:
- Investment in education, in women and children and as well as in agriculture is the key to eradicating ultra-poverty from among the poorest of the poor
- That N50,000 per year can sponsor one child with a meal for a year
- 10 Million Children in Nigeria are out of school. You can do something now!
- 11 Million Children in Nigeria are stunted because of malnutrition and starvation.
- 2300 under-5 children die every day in Nigeria because of hunger and malnutrition.
Why not do something!
111 women and girls die every day in Nigeria due to ultra-poverty condition
Every Nigerian is guilty and responsible for the millions of death of under-5 children who died due to starvation and malnutrition. Why not sacrifice just a little to make a change in their lives.
NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT!
The CVL Ultra-Support Network has the “Gift A Child Campaign” for the special basic education project for the poorest of the poor as one, and the “Life empowerment Initiative” bus conductors and motor garage boys as another component. You can make a difference in the lives of the ultra-poor children and young many people in Nigeria by donating/sponsoring the CVL Ultra-Support Network. N50, 000 is sufficient to sponsor a child for a whole year school feeding program. You can also donate in cash or in-kind towards the school building project/or the life empowerment initiative for rural youths through [email protected] or by calling 08067775533.
For CVL (Centre for Values in Leadership)
James E. Ebube
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