Na wa o! As we dey talk na, Federal Government don plan to drop N206.50 billion for poverty matter for 2026 budget. Chai! This one na just small change compare to total budget wey reach N58.47 trillion. Talk about less than one percent o!
Based on wetin dem check for 2026 Appropriation Bill, all the money wey dem tag for poverty alleviation go total N206.5 billion. But when you look am against total budget, e be like 0.35 percent of wetin dem get planned. If you compare am with capital budget wey stand at N23.21 trillion, e go still be like 0.89 percent. No be small thing o!
The wahala wey dey for this allocation no be small. Majority of the money come from Service Wide Vote wey get two major allocations under National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy, wey carry N100 billion each. So, that one alone na N200 billion, wey be over 96 percent of the whole poverty money for 2026. E mean say if you no count that Service-Wide Vote, all other MDAs go share just N6.50 billion. This one fit cause some chook-chook for their projects!
Make we see some breakdown: Border Communities Development Agency dey look N63 million for Zamfara North Senatorial District only! E no reach small pocket money! Them dey plan to use N28 million for women empowerment and another N35 million for general poverty alleviation. E no fit pass this small change for such a big matter!
Federal Ministry of Agriculture dey carry N140 million go across two projects wey include N105 million for grains support and N35 million to start boreholes and give skills-acquisition starter packs to youths. E be like say all dis one na mix of food distribution and basic infrastructure matter wey relate to poverty reduction.
National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation dey plan to spend N245 million, split between Lagos and Oyo di district. Na so we go dey see empowerment for creative industry and skills acquisition spread across local governments.
No forget Federal Co-operative College Ibadan, wey carry N2.87 billion to provide tricycles and motorcycles for selected communities across six geopolitical zones. Na correct level wey dem dey! Dis allocation alone dey take about 44 percent of the MDA-based poverty envelope. Wetin we go talk about Oji River wey plan N364 million for food supply and female empowerment? Dem dey chook eyes everywhere for hunger matter!
As e be now, many poor Nigerians go still dey suffer o! Report dey show say only 44 percent of the benefits from government-funded safety-net schemes dey reach the real poor, according to World Bank. E mean say our social safety-net spending dey inefficient. Na only 0.14 percent of GDP e cover, wey no even reach global average. Na so things dey go downhill!
PwC don talk say by 2026, the poverty rate go rise to 62 percent, meaning about 141 million people go dey live below poverty line. Chai! Na serious wahala be this! E dey show say even with policy steps wey dem dey take to bring stability, many more Nigerians dey face hardship as inflation dey continue to affect dem.
Abeg, make we pray and dey shine eye as e be! E be like say without proper interventions and plans, poverty levels for Naija go still dey high. We need our leaders to do the right thing so that people for street no go dey suffer like dis.
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