From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
In 2020, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that 86.9 million Nigerians live in extreme poverty. This represents almost 50 per cent of the country’s estimated 180 million population for the 2018 to 2019 survey.
The survey, however, attracted the attention of a non-governmental organisation, AfriWomen for Entrepreneurship Initiative (AfriWomen), with international headquarters in Ibadan, Oyo State. It attempted solutions to the plight of women and the girl-child through economic and social empowerment signature programmes.
The organisation implemented some programmes that put smiles on the faces of scores of women, especially traders in various markets for the empowerment of traders. Of recent, the AfriWomen visited Molete, Challenge, Scout Camp, Oje, Ojaba, and Oke Ado markets in Ibadan to enlighten women on the opportunities they could tap into for them to be successful.
At Molete Scout Camp Market, market women said they have been expecting such programmes to liberate them. Founder, AfriWomen, Adebukola Oso, said: “Women have natural talent to nurture and care for others and things entrusted to them. This ability also makes women have the greatest abilities to identify and harness potential. Therefore, women are critical agents of any change we want to make in this case, poverty alleviation.
“We are sensitising and increasing awareness about the potential of women as primary agents of change. Our target audience are women themselves, youths, parents, stakeholders in poverty alleviation programmes, private sector and of course government those who make and implement policies.
“Adult literacy because
Two thirds of the world’s 781 million illiterates are women. These women are found in sub-Saharan Africa, which includes Nigeria. Literacy has a correlation with poverty and that literacy is a crucial socio-economic factor in poverty alleviation.
“A literate environment and society is essential for achieving the goals of eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving gender equality, ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy.
“AfriWomen is addressing poverty alleviation through programmes, which include AfriWomen vocational skills acquisition trainings, adult literacy, business development, community development, cooperative and marketing schemes.
“We are recording more business start-ups, sustained and accelerated businesses. From the monitoring and evaluation of our programmes, skills acquisition, literacy, cooperative and marketing schemes were among the variables with a positive effect on women.
“Social benefits of our programme include health, reproductive behaviour, education and gender equality. For example our wellbeing programme has impacted beneficiaries with information that enable them make wiser health decisions.
“AfriWomen’s monitoring shows that there are changes in health-related knowledge and behaviour, relative to pre-attending the centre. Our women boldly seek medical help for themselves and sick children, adopt preventive health measures such as immunization, and know more about family planning methods.
“The political benefits of our programmes are not just for stimulating more positive political participation but also for an increased participation in trade unions, community action and national political life. These should promote women to make inform choices at choosing leaders and for women to take up leadership roles in all spheres and at different levels.
“Inherent in our programmes are also the cultural benefits. AfriWomen programmes also aim to promote values of equity, inclusion, respect for cultural diversity, peace and active democracy.”
She defined poverty as the inability to afford the basic necessities of life, including food, shelter, health care and access to clean water: “Exacerbating factors for poverty include the COVID-19 impact, which took many Nigerians into severe and harsh poverty.
“In 2020, the World Poverty Clock shows Nigeria has overtaken India as the country with the most people living in extreme poverty. This simply means that Nigeria, a third world country in Africa, is the current and known poverty capital of the world. The nation just exceeded India with the largest rate of people living in extreme poverty.
“The 2020, NBS says that 86.9 million Nigerians now living in extreme poverty represents nearly 50% of its estimated 180 million population. Compared to India, Nigeria is smaller both geographically and population wise. For instance, India has a population seven times bigger than Nigeria, yet Nigeria is failing at lowering the rates of poverty.
“Much of the current data suggests the population growth spurt isn’t slowing down anytime soon. A UN report last year projected that, by 2050, Nigeria will become the world’s third largest country by population and one of the six nations with a population of over 300 million – poverty is set to be more rife.
“Inability to control the population problem is a consequence of poor policy implementation—and it’ll get worse and difficult especially for managing poverty rates. One of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is to end extreme poverty by 2050. However, Nigeria’s poverty rates are currently going in the wrong direction. The mismanagement of the oil resources and the presence of corruption everywhere.”
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Adenike Adigun, said she would apply the literacy programme to improve her business. Others commended organisation on its move to alleviate poverty and empower women and girl-child.