Buhari Inaugurates Committee Chaired by Osinbajo to Lift 100 Million Nigerians From Poverty
- A new team to work on boosting growth and reducing poverty in Nigeria has been set up by President Muhammadu Buhari
- The team made up of eight ministers and six governors is to be headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
- President Buhari says he is optimistic that Nigeria can emulate India in lifting millions of its citizens out of poverty
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FCT, Abuja - President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, July 22 inaugurated the national steering committee of the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement seen by Legit.ng.
Source: Getty Images
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The president promised the committee adequate support
Speaking at the event where he also launched a private equity fund for the committee, Buhari said the launch of the NPRGS lays credence his commitment to lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
The president said the committee will be backed with a well-researched framework for implementation and funding.
He added that the private equity fund will lead to a resource mobilisation drive and also manage the resources acquired in a sustainable manner.
The statement quoted Buhari as saying:
“This journey began in January 2021 when I directed the chairman of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to collaboratively work together to articulate what will lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
“The major challenge before this national steering committee is to translate our good intention into positive impact of the average Nigerian so that we create an appreciative impact on the poverty situation in our country.
“If India can lift 271 million people out of poverty between 2006 and 2016, Nigeria can surely lift 100 million out of poverty in 10 years.
“Fortunately, we have already started but we need to unlock the challenges of slow implementation, inappropriate targeting, and absence of adequate resources.’’
The committee will include the SGF, Buhari's chief of staff, eight ministers, and one governor each from the six regions in the country.
More detailed expectations from the committee
The Guardian newspaper reports that Buhari listed the responsibilities of the steering committee to include anchoring collaborative efforts and providing oversight for the implementation of the strategy.
According to him, the committee will also monitor progress and any other effort that will enhance the attainment of the objective of lifting 100 million people out of poverty in the country.
Meanwhile, the senior special assistant, media, and publicity to the president, Mallam Garba Shehu has described President Buhari as the superstar of Nigeria's democracy.
Mallam Shehu made the comment on Tuesday, June 22 while speaking at the launch of a book attended by a Legit.ng reporter in Abuja titled 'The Buhari in Us.'
The presidential spokesman described the book as a compendium of Buhari, adding that the author of the book, Abdullahi Haruna, has made the job of the president's spokespersons easier with the contents of the publication.
Recall that Mallam Shehu had last week said some people were disappointed to have seen his principal in interviews and broadcasts recently.
Away from his usual style, President Buhari had in quick succession granted interviews to Arise TV and the Nigerian Television Authority.
The move had stunned some Nigerians as the president has been largely media-shy since he came into power in 2015.
Source: Legit.ng
