Dr. Oluwayomi Asogbon, International President, Globatech Empowerment Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), says eradicating poverty is key to checking insecurity.
Asogbon made the assertion at a news conference to commemorate the International Day for Eradication of Poverty, on Sunday in Lagos.
The celebration had the theme: “History and Significance”.
He said that the foundation had fixed Oct. 25, to commemorate the day in Abuja.
The International Day for Eradication of Poverty, declared by the United Nation, is celebrated annually on Oct. 17, to acknowledge the efforts and struggles of people living in poverty.
According to Asogbon, research has shown that many Nigerians were living below the poverty line; hence, the need for governments to partner with NGOs to find ways of reducing poverty.
“There is also need for the government to engage NGOs in the planning and implementation of poverty alleviation programmes to strengthen the scheme and ensure that help gets to the people who genuinely need it.
“Across the 774 LGs in Nigeria, we have an array of NGOs working very closely with the people at the grassroots; this ordinarily will make it easy for the government to reach out to people at this level.
“My message to well-meaning Nigerians, philanthropists, and governments is to remember the poor because today is marked by the United Nations to remember the poor and vulnerable in our midsts.
“We need to develop mechanism on how they can be rescued from their poverty levels; one of the methods governments should adopt, which we are recommending, is that they should engage NGOs to tackle both poverty and insecurity.
“We cannot eradicate poverty in Nigeria because of our size, but we can reduce it by bringing in the right operators. The NGOs are close to the grassroots.
“They are grassroots mobilizers and they are familiar with the needs of the grassroots.
“A famous philosopher, Aristotle, said that poverty is the mother of crime and revolution; so, in all, we need to do more in pushing the masses up to a deserved means of livelihood, for us to build and enjoy a more peaceful and stable society,” he said.
Asogbon said that Globatech Empowerment Foundation comprised over 1,000 NGOs across the nation.
He said that a total of 300 women was undergoing the acquisition of skills in fashion designing, catering, bead and soap making, digital marketing, and others, at the expense of the foundation.
He said that the skills acquisition, to last for six months, was aimed at assisting the less privileged.
“After the training, they would be empowered with necessary tools. That is why come Dec. 17 or December 18, we shall be giving materials worth N50 million to all those who are undergoing one skill acquisition or the other, nationwide.
“Those who are undergoing training in fashion designing, for instance, would be given weaving machines, sewing machines, and accessories, as well as about N50,000 startup capital.
“If we can get assistance from government and well-meaning Nigerians, we will plan to even rent shops for them,” he said.
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He lauded the current administration in Nigeria for giving women the needed support.
“It created the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, it shows that it recognized the fact that there are challenges.
“If the government has such a good plan for Nigeria by creating such a ministry, then, there is a need for the ministry to reach out to key stakeholders, collaborate with them and bring to the table, the way forward.
