UN-say Nigeria is the poorest country of the world.
UN report says Nigeria is one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the world
The United Nations, UN, has painted a gloomy
picture of Nigeria in a recently released report,
saying the country is one of the poorest and
most unequal in the world.
The report, Nigeria’s Common Country Analysis,
CCA, read out during a consultative meeting of
the UN Development Assistance Framework IV,
UNDAF IV, for the South East in Akwa, the
Anambra State capital, also said the country is
deeply divided along ethnic, regional and
religious lines.
The report equally said the divisions have largely
defined political existence in the country while
development and social indices are said to be at
unacceptable levels.
Below is the report in part: “Nigeria, with a
population of over 75 million, is the most
populous nation in Africa and the seventh most
populous in the world. Her population will be
approximately 200 million by 2019 and over 400
million by 2050, becoming one of the top five
populous countries in the world.
“Nigeria is one of the poorest and most unequal
countries in the world, with over 80 million or
64% of her population living below poverty line.
The situation has not changed over the decades,
but is increasing. Poverty and hunger have
remained high in rural areas, remote
communities and among female –headed
households and these cut across the six geo-
political zones, with prevalence ranging from
approximately 46.9 percent in the South West to
74.3 percent in North West and North East.
“In Nigeria, 37% of children under five years old
were stunted, 18 percent wasted, 29%
underweight and overall, only 10% of children
aged 6-23 months are fed appropriately based on
recommended infant and young children feeding
practices.
“Youth unemployment which is 42% in 2016 is
very high, creating poverty, helplessness, despair
and easy target for crime and terrorism. Over
10 million children of school age are out of
schools with no knowledge and skills.
“Nigeria’s economy is currently in a recession
and it is estimated that government revenues
have fallen by as much as 33 percent, which has
further resulted in the contraction of the Gross
Domestic Product, GDP, by 0.36 percent in the
first three months of 2016.
“The vulnerable macroeconomic environment in
Nigeria is affecting investors’ confidence in the
domestic economy.
“Despite the fact that Nigeria is a signatory to a
number of protocols on sustainable and
renewable environment, the country had, over the
decades, failed to protect the environment,
ecosystem and natural resources.
“Over-exploitation of natural resources and
pollution of the environment, desertification are
exposing the population to vulnerability and risks
caused by climate change, among others.
“Nigeria is well-endowed with forest resources,
accounting for 2.5% of GDP. But Nigeria has one
of the highest rates of forest loss in the world.
Between 1990 and 2000, Nigeria lost an average
of 409,700 hectares of forest per year on average
deforestation rate of 3.5% per annum.
“Increase in population, human activities like
farming, construction and cutting of trees, use of
wood and effect of climate change lead to
environmental destruction across Nigeria.
“This in turn leads to unpredictable weather,
drought and floods. The implication of
destruction of the environment includes reduced
agricultural productivity, destruction of property
and loss of lives.
“Over 80 million Nigerians live in poverty and are
affected in one way or the other by the current
humanitarian crisis. Available reports indicate
that there are over 3.3 million Internally
Displaced Persons, IDPs, which is Africa’s
largest, ranking behind Syria and Columbia on a
global scale.
“The major challenges Nigeria is currently facing
that constrain her economic growth and social
development are lack of good governance,
general increased insecurity across geo-political
zones in North East, Niger Delta and Lake Chad
region in particular.
“The situation is exacerbated by the existence of
systematic accountability challenges, limited
capacities of independent institutions/
commissions and limited accountability at the
federal, states and local government levels.
“Nigeria is a deeply divided society considering
the plurality of ethnic, religious and regional
identities that define her political existence. Since
independence in 1960, Nigeria has struggled to
build and sustain national integration.
“For decades, different segments of Nigeria’s
population had, at different times, expressed
feelings of marginalization, of being short-
changed, dominated, oppressed, threatened, or
even targeted for elimination.”
Suggesting the way out from the current
problems, the UN, in the report, recommended a
radical and new approach transforming and
diversifying the country’s development.
To do this, the UN said there was an urgent
need to invest in people and in a strong and
more dynamic and inclusive productive informal sector.
By Timothy Enietan-Matthews …
The United Nations, UN, has painted a gloomy
picture of Nigeria in a recently released report,
saying the country is one of the poorest and
most unequal in the world.
The report, Nigeria’s Common Country Analysis,
CCA, read out during a consultative meeting of
the UN Development Assistance Framework IV,
UNDAF IV, for the South East in Akwa, the
Anambra State capital, also said the country is
deeply divided along ethnic, regional and
religious lines.
The report equally said the divisions have largely
defined political existence in the country while
development and social indices are said to be at
unacceptable levels.
Below is the report in part: “Nigeria, with a
population of over 75 million, is the most
populous nation in Africa and the seventh most
populous in the world. Her population will be
approximately 200 million by 2019 and over 400
million by 2050, becoming one of the top five
populous countries in the world.
“Nigeria is one of the poorest and most unequal
countries in the world, with over 80 million or
64% of her population living below poverty line.
The situation has not changed over the decades,
but is increasing. Poverty and hunger have
remained high in rural areas, remote
communities and among female –headed
households and these cut across the six geo-
political zones, with prevalence ranging from
approximately 46.9 percent in the South West to
74.3 percent in North West and North East.
“In Nigeria, 37% of children under five years old
were stunted, 18 percent wasted, 29%
underweight and overall, only 10% of children
aged 6-23 months are fed appropriately based on
recommended infant and young children feeding
practices.
“Youth unemployment which is 42% in 2016 is
very high, creating poverty, helplessness, despair
and easy target for crime and terrorism. Over
10 million children of school age are out of
schools with no knowledge and skills.
“Nigeria’s economy is currently in a recession
and it is estimated that government revenues
have fallen by as much as 33 percent, which has
further resulted in the contraction of the Gross
Domestic Product, GDP, by 0.36 percent in the
first three months of 2016.
“The vulnerable macroeconomic environment in
Nigeria is affecting investors’ confidence in the
domestic economy.
“Despite the fact that Nigeria is a signatory to a
number of protocols on sustainable and
renewable environment, the country had, over the
decades, failed to protect the environment,
ecosystem and natural resources.
“Over-exploitation of natural resources and
pollution of the environment, desertification are
exposing the population to vulnerability and risks
caused by climate change, among others.
“Nigeria is well-endowed with forest resources,
accounting for 2.5% of GDP. But Nigeria has one
of the highest rates of forest loss in the world.
Between 1990 and 2000, Nigeria lost an average
of 409,700 hectares of forest per year on average
deforestation rate of 3.5% per annum.
“Increase in population, human activities like
farming, construction and cutting of trees, use of
wood and effect of climate change lead to
environmental destruction across Nigeria.
“This in turn leads to unpredictable weather,
drought and floods. The implication of
destruction of the environment includes reduced
agricultural productivity, destruction of property
and loss of lives.
“Over 80 million Nigerians live in poverty and are
affected in one way or the other by the current
humanitarian crisis. Available reports indicate
that there are over 3.3 million Internally
Displaced Persons, IDPs, which is Africa’s
largest, ranking behind Syria and Columbia on a
global scale.
“The major challenges Nigeria is currently facing
that constrain her economic growth and social
development are lack of good governance,
general increased insecurity across geo-political
zones in North East, Niger Delta and Lake Chad
region in particular.
“The situation is exacerbated by the existence of
systematic accountability challenges, limited
capacities of independent institutions/
commissions and limited accountability at the
federal, states and local government levels.
“Nigeria is a deeply divided society considering
the plurality of ethnic, religious and regional
identities that define her political existence. Since
independence in 1960, Nigeria has struggled to
build and sustain national integration.
“For decades, different segments of Nigeria’s
population had, at different times, expressed
feelings of marginalization, of being short-
changed, dominated, oppressed, threatened, or
even targeted for elimination.”
Suggesting the way out from the current
problems, the UN, in the report, recommended a
radical and new approach transforming and
diversifying the country’s development.
To do this, the UN said there was an urgent
need to invest in people and in a strong and
more dynamic and inclusive productive informal sector.
By Timothy Enietan-Matthews …
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