What Nigeria must do to tackle poverty, PIC, NESG, others speak

The Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) and Policy Innovation Center (PIC) have charged stakeholders to deploy strategic ways to tackle the scourge of gender inclusion as a way of urgently tackling poverty, especially in women.

They stated this at the gender and inclusion summit organised by the Policy Innovation Centre (PIC) of NESG, on Wednesday, September 4, in Abuja.

The summit, themed “Reimagining Gender Inclusive Pathways and Partnerships for Poverty Reduction,” brought together key stakeholders to address the intersection of gender inclusion and poverty alleviation.

Specifically, the Chairman of NESG, Olaniyi Yusuf said: “Moreso, the scourge of multi-dimensional poverty persists and continues to entangle millions in its grip.

“Hence Gender Inclusion Summit must permeate every facet of our existence, must influence the fabrics of our society and must be used to shape our collective future.”

He said their commitment to driving impactful platforms has not only catalyzed economic growth in the nation, but also elevated the standard of living for our citizens.
Yusuf noted that in October 2021, the PIC was launched to deepen the impact of social interventions in our country.

He said the PIC deploys two transformative lenses, the first is behavioral insights and the second is gender transformative approach.

Also speaking, the Chairman of PIC, Mr Udeme Ufot while speaking, said the Summit is a platform conceived to foster dialogue among critical stakeholders from diverse sectors.

He further stated that the summit serves as a space where stakeholders reflect on new evidence and explore contextually relevant solutions to the disparities in inclusivity in Nigeria.

He said: “By uniting the collective power of the government, development partners, civil societies, academia, the private sectors and citizens, we aim to inspire a collective commitment and focused action towards building a gender inclusive society.”

Also speaking, the Director-General of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, has declared that democracy cannot be considered complete when women are excluded from policy-making processes.

During the summit, Ms. Takudzwa Kanyangarara, UNICEF’s Gender and Development Manager, emphasised the importance of listening to girls’ needs and aspirations.

She stated: “Girls have told us how crucial it is to provide them with the information and services they need to make informed decisions about their health and everyday lives.”