Gom Mirian
In a bid to curb poverty and inequality in Nigeria, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has pledged to work towards promoting inclusive growth across the country.
The announcement came on Wednesday during a courtesy call to the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, where the two parties discussed potential strategies to tackle the rampant poverty and inequality in the country.
Over 133 million Nigerians, as of November of last year, were multidimensionally poor, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
UNDP’s Resident Representative in Nigeria, Mohamed Yahya, noted that “inclusive growth is how to reduce inequality, reduce the poverty rate and support the country’s agenda, considering that Nigeria is the driving seat of Africa.
“We also support governance at the state level. The peace-building part is our biggest challenge because it is new but we have huge stabilisation programmes in the North-East and North-West,” he said.
Yahya further added that the UNDP will also focus on providing technical assistance to improve governance, promote human rights, and enhance access to basic services such as healthcare and education.
In his remarks, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu said President Bola Tinubu has been passionate about inclusive growth, which is part of the National Development Plan 2021-2025 and Agenda 2050.
