From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has explained that the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration plans to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years will not be based on a business-as-usual approach, but a very simple, common sense strategy that will deliver the results as promised.
Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande said the Vice President stated this in Abuja on Friday at the inaugural meeting of the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy Steering Committee held at the Presidential Villa.
He expressed confidence that the committee will be able to achieve rapid progress, adding that “in order not to make this merely another of those high-sounding committees that eventually achieve nothing, we have to be very intentional about our objectives and how to achieve them.”
He said to members of the committee that government would adopt a different and more effective approach in actualizing the objective of eradicating poverty in the country for the sake of delivering results.
Citing the example of Bangladesh where a poverty reduction strategy was also implemented, Osinbajo noted how the country’s manufacturing sector was key.
“Bangladesh actually exports more garment than we export oil. Countries that have managed to get out of poverty have created a lot of jobs through industries, and they have developed intentional strategies.
“We must look at what others have done, the smart things that other people have done, and adopt.”
On agriculture, he said: “We really have to think smartly about how we are funding agriculture.