133m Nigerians’ multidimensionally poor- ActionAid

ActionAid Nigeria, AAN, has said that 133 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor, and are yet to see solution in sight despite the abundance God has blessed the country with. Making this known was the Country Director, AAN, Andrew Mamedu, while delivering an address of welcome at the launch of ActionAid Nigeria’s new Country Strategy Paper, ‘Citizens’ Action to End Poverty and Injustice’, in Abuja. Explaining what the Country Strategy Paper, CSP, is all about, Mamedu said the CSP builds on AAN’s many years of work in Nigeria, and it is founded on the lessons learnt in implementing previous CSPs and programming in Nigeria. According to him, AAN has learnt that poverty is multifaceted and cannot be compartmentalised and requires a more nuanced approach. In this CSP, therefore the need for deepening its engagement and focusing on responding to multidimensional poverty, seeing how poverty and injustice are weaponised against the poor and excluded.
He said: “Today, we gather to launch ActionAid Nigeria’s new Country Strategy Paper, Citizens’ Action to End Poverty and Injustice. As you may know, nearly 12 per cent of the global population was living in extreme poverty in 2023, and this figure has evidently worsened due to ongoing conflicts, wars, and disasters across the globe. In Nigeria, where the poverty threshold is 1.90 U.S. dollars a day (about 3000 using the official rate), 133 million of our 200 million people are multidimensionally poor. This means that they not only lack financial resources but also lack access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and clean water. If you are not one of the 133 million, it is likely that your family members—extended or nuclear—are, and if we do not address this now, future generations may face the same plight. Hope and believe is not a strategy, hope and belief must be accompanied by action. This is the essence of our CSP.” However, he said, AAN focuses on harnessing the four pillars of the CSP geared towards achieving critical actions ; Organize, Act, Shift, and Thrive, “Our strategy is not only about addressing immediate needs but also about empowering citizens to drive systemic change.
“We are dedicated to a human rights-based approach, placing the dignity and rights of every individual at the center of our work. We will engage with communities not merely as beneficiaries but as active partners in their own development.” However, he (Mamedu) assured Nigerians the AAN will stand with them in any adversity that would transform their lives, “We are acutely aware of the challenges faced by protesters who are often met with repression and violence. The bravery of those standing up for their rights amidst such adversity is both inspiring and essential. As we move forward, we must support and amplify their voices, advocating for an inclusive political environment where the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are respected.”