Why African leaders should urgently address inequality, poverty, by Osinbajo

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has tasked African leaders to rise up to address the problems of poverty and inequality, even as the global community focuses on its new Sustainable Development Goals, (SDGs).

Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari, said this while speaking at the pre-opening event of the African Union (AU), Summit, which kicks off today in Kigali, the Rwandan capital.

The Vice President, who is leading the Nigerian delegation to the meeting, told newsmen at the breakfast event, attended by a number of African presidents, as well as several heads of delegations to the summit, that the whole idea of the SDGs was really about addressing inequality and poverty.

“Basically, we are looking at lifting many out of poverty,” he said. “Many are familiar with the size of the Nigerian state and we have close to 110 million people, who are poor, while about two-tenth are in extreme poverty. So, it is huge problem and part of what we are trying to do is to look at how not just to empower people, but also ensure that what they are given is sustainable.”

He explained that there is a micro-credit programme targeted at giving facilities to a million market women and artisans, to enable them sustain their existence.

Speaking on the Conditional Cash Transfer, the Vice President said it was aimed at addressing those who were in extreme poverty, especially women. “Again, we are handing this to women. We are also giving this to another million, to the poorest of the poor. In determining whom the poorest is, we had very good assistance from the World Bank and the Bill Gates Foundation. They helped in trying to identify the really poor.

“We had to go inside communities looking for the poorest of the poor with the small sum of about N5, 000, which is roughly about $25. The sum would be given to the poorest every month, to enable them feed themselves and find something that they may do.