The Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), David Anyaele has expressed worry that while other countries of the world are taking steps to reduce poverty within their societies, the increasing number of Nigerians that are experiencing extreme poverty is very alarming.
Anyaele made the observation as Nigeria joins the globe today October 17 which is annually recognized as International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. It is a day to come together with people living in extreme poverty, in particular persons with disabilities, women, and children.
The CCD boss noted that the most challenging aspect of this situation is that people living in poverty experience many interrelated and mutually reinforcing deprivations that prevent them from realizing their rights and perpetuate their poverty, including but not limited to dangerous, but degrading working conditions, unsafe housing, limited access to nutritious food, limits access to justice, stiffen access to political power and hinders access to healthcare services amongst others.
David Anyaele
He maintained that this moralizing poverty situation in Nigeria is manmade; fuelled by bad governance and corruption in the high places.
He added that when people fall into poverty, their chance of acquiring disability becomes wider, as poverty has been linked as a major source of disability, even as disability pushes families into extreme poverty and pointed out that the current set of Nigerian leaders have failed to reduce poverty in the land.
The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Dignity for All in Practice”. According to a World Bank report titled “A Better Future for All Nigerians: 2022 Nigeria Poverty Assessment", poverty reduction has stagnated since 2015, with more Nigerians falling below the poverty line over the years. The international organization projected the number of poor Nigerians to hit 95.1 million in 2022.
The dignity of the human being is not only a fundamental right in itself, but constitutes the basis of all other fundamental rights. The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrined human dignity in its preamble:
His words ‘Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and, the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.’
As an organization of, and for persons with disabilities, we are worried that while other countries of the world are taking steps to reduce poverty within their societies, the increasing number of Nigerians that are experiencing extreme poverty is very alarming.
According to a World Bank report titled “A Better Future for All Nigerians: 2022 Nigeria Poverty Assessment", poverty reduction has stagnated since 2015, with more Nigerians falling below the poverty line over the years. The international organization projected that the number of poor Nigerians to hit 95.1 million in 2022.
In other reports, Nigeria has been classified as the poverty capital of the world. This is because while the population of Nigeria is growing, the poverty situation is also competing with the population increase in the country.
The most challenging aspect of this situation is that people living in poverty experience many interrelated and mutually reinforcing deprivations that prevent them from realizing their rights and perpetuate their poverty, including but not limited to dangerous, but degrading working conditions, unsafe housing, limited access to nutritious food, limits access to justice, stiffen access to political power and hinders access to healthcare services amongst others.
This *demoralizing* poverty situation in Nigeria is manmade; fuelled by bad governance and corruption in the high places. Unfortunately, when people fall into poverty, their chance of acquiring disability becomes wider, as poverty has been linked as a major source of disability, even as disability pushes families into extreme poverty.
According to David Anyaele, the current set of Nigerian leaders have failed to reduce poverty in the land. He added that the leaders have consciously or unconsciously contributed to the growing number of persons with disabilities due to their inability to tackle the increasing number of Nigeria going into extreme poverty.
As the 2023 general elections are around the corner, the CCD boss called on Nigerians to make poverty reduction a key campaign issue. "Political party candidates for the State Houses of Assembly, the Governorship, the National Assembly, and the Presidential must tell Nigerians how they intend to bend the poverty curves in Nigeria. Citizens should prepare to hold elected officials accountable for poverty reduction as the poverty situation in Nigeria is manmade, majorly because of bad governance".
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