Oxford University, World Bank task FG on poverty in Nigeria

The Authorities of Oxford University and World Bank have tasked the Federal Government to urgently fish out the poor as well as the vulnerable in the country, saying “Nigeria’s poverty is worrisome”.

According to the national coordinator of the Social Safety Net Programme, Mr. Peter Papkar this onerous task of identifying and enumerating the poor and the vulnerable was to reduce poverty, if not totally eradicate it in the near future.

He said “the country poverty rate is not only worrisome but also a threat to the world, hence the international bodies are ready and willing to assist in reducing it”.
Papka who noted that Federal Government is happy with the World Bank and others moved to bail out the country from its poverty level, said Federal Government had since keyed into the programme and has gone to about 25 states to carry out the assignment.

The National Coordinator said at a training in Asaba that the office of the Vice President had taken proactive measures to tackle the problem by organizing training for members to visit the rural communities to identify and enumerate the poor and the vulnerable who are the optimize beneficiaries of the programme.

To this end, he said a total of 62 persons drawn from 9 of the 25 local government area of Delta State have been trained on community based target team to do the job.
He explained that the training was equipped the participants with requisite ideas on the task of identifying and enumerating the poor and vulnerable in their various local government area to serve as a guide for government intervention in the 9 Local Government Area.

According to him, the participants are to carry out the assignment in the community where poverty are high, urging the participants not to compromise on quality but to do the assignment thoroughly, and as quickly as possible so that the target persons will benefit from the programme.

On funding, Mr. Papka said agent from the Federal Government, the World Bank and others was also providing resources to support the intervention.

The Permanent Secretary, Delta State Ministry of Economic Planning, Mr. Ben Igho said at the training that the participant were drawn 9 local government areas which includes Burutu, Ethiope East Okpe, Ughelli South, Ika North East, Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Warri North and Warri South West.

Mr. Igho also said that 20 persons were drawn from the State Operating Coordinating Unit and Ministry of Economic Planning who were lecture on the introduction and consent of poverty and vulnerable

Nosa Akenzua, Asaba