The Common Country Analysis report released yesterday by United Nations’ Nigeria office in conjunction with the Federal Government of Nigeria has revealed that over 64 percent of Nigerians are living below poverty level.
The CCA report which further estimated that Nigeria’s population could grow to approximately 200 million by 2019 and to over 400 million by 2050 further raised an alarm over food security in Nigeria.
According to the report, worsening poverty levels have continued to be a major challenge in Nigeria as over 64 per cent of the population is living below the poverty line. With a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.514.
The 2016 CCA report posited that poverty and hunger have remained high in rural areas, remote communities and among female-headed households, cutting across the length and breadth of the country.
The report revealed that Nigeria faces the challenge of food insecurity due to various factors including; our reliance on rain-fed agriculture, global economic downturn, the effects of global increase of food prices especially the rise in prices of staple food.
Other factors include: “negative impact of climate change and other eco-based food insecurity as well as displacement of people due to Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.”
Speaking at the Presentation of the draft CCA report for onward validation by stakeholders in Abuja, Nana Fatima Mede, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and National Planning stated that the “the current realities as X-rayed in the CCA Report presents Nigeria’s current economic challenges, due largely to over-dependence on crude oil, inability to diversify the economy over the years as well as the negative effects of the endemic corruption in Nigeria.”
She commended the United Nations for their support in the development of Nigeria especially through the anchoring of the CCA report which will form the basis for the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF IV) a blueprint plan that will form the organisations programs between 2018-2022.
She stated that the “UN System deploys the UNDAF as a planning tool to enhance the coordination and effectiveness of the United Nations System’s contribution to the development of member nations.
“The UNDAF focuses on realistic goals and objectives that are achievable given available resources within the plan period, while allowing some measure of flexibility to accommodate emerging development challenges.” she said.
Going down memory lane the Permanent Secretary disclosed that UNDAF Nigeria has evolved through the first UNDAF that spanned the period 2002 – 2006; UNDAF II covered 2009 – 2013, while the implementation of UNDAF III which started in 2014, will terminate in 2017 adding that the three versions of the UNDAF were formulated under the leadership and guidance of the defunct National Planning Commission.
According to the report which was presented by a team of Consultant University Dons led by Okwachi Abagi, “the purpose of the Nigeria CCA is to provide analytical basis for joint planning and visioning process that include the participation of UN, FG and other non-governmental stakeholders.
“The CCA is committed to identify and analyse underlying factors and root causes of gaps and challenges facing development and social progress and prosperity.
The report further revealed that analysis by states also indicates variations in the prevalence of poverty as indicated in the following states: Benue 59.2percent, Kaduna 56 percent, Gombe 76.4 percent.
While Cross River, Oyo, Anambra all recorded 76.9 percent, 29.0 percent and 11.2 percent respectively.
The CCA also revealed that Nigeria experienced marginal increases in contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) over the last three decades with CPR rising from 6 percent in 1990, 13.3 percent in 2008 and 15.4 percent in 2013 adding that there are wide disparities across states, geo-political zones and socio-demographic groups.
According to Abagi the draft CCA was produced following the UN Development Group Guideline as well as a thorough consultation with all relevant stakeholders.
