PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday articulated his administration’s plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.
The President spoke in a video message to a high-level meeting of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on poverty eradication.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the virtual meeting featured the launch of the Alliance for Poverty Eradication (APE).
APE is designed to serve as a forum to galvanise UN member-states, the international community and other stakeholders to support actions geared toward poverty eradication.
President Buhari welcomed the launch of the initiative and expressed Nigeria’s endorsement of all multilateral actions aimed at actualising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He said: “Nigeria attaches great importance to poverty eradication. It is for this reason that in May, 2019, on my inauguration for a second term in office, our government committed itself to starting a new programme of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within a 10-year period.
“It is my conviction that devoting our efforts towards human capital development, efficient management of our resources, greater financial inclusion and transformation of the Agricultural sector to ensure food security is crucial to poverty eradication.
“In this regard, Nigeria continues to strengthen its existing social safety net initiative by increasing access to enrolees who fit the various programmes in the scheme.
“Nigeria will also continue to provide easier and increased access to financial services for micro and small-scale businesses through the government’s Enterprise and Empowerment Programme.”
The President expressed his administration’s determination to do more, including massive investment in education, especially of the girl-child.