OGUN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina presented a strong argument for welfarist policies and people-centred development in Africa as he urged leaders in Nigeria and throughout Africa to “make poverty a history.”
Adesina spoke on Wednesday in Lagos at the Awolowo Foundation’s annual lecture where he received the prestigious Awolowo prize for leadership.
This was disclosed in a press statement distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
He said given the high levels of poverty in Africa, and Nigeria, what is needed are welfarist policies that exponentially expand opportunities for all, reduce inequalities, and improve the quality of life of people.
Delivering a lecture titled: “Making a New Nigeria: Welfarist Policies and People-Centred Development,” Adesina identified five critical areas that Nigerian and African leaders need to focus on to transform their economies and people’s lives.
He said the areas are the transformation of the rural economy and food security, health security for all, education for all, affordable housing for all and government accountability and fiscal decentralisation for a true federalism.
Transforming Rural Economies, Ensure Food Security For All
Adesina said a better Africa must start with transforming rural economies because some 70% of the population lives there.
“Rural poverty is extremely high. At the heart of transforming rural economies is agriculture, the main source of livelihoods.”
“When rural economies falter, nations falter,” Adesina warned, “this leads to the spread of anarchy and terrorists who take advantage of the economic misery to entrench themselves,” he said.
He highlighted how the AfDB Group is supporting a farm revolution at scale across the continent. “We have invested over $8.5 billion in agriculture in the past seven years which has impacted 250 million people.”
“The African Development Bank and development partners are providing $1.4 billion for the development of 25 Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones in eleven countries,” he said.
He highlighted how the AfDB Group is supporting a farm revolution at scale across the continent. “We have invested over $8.5 billion in agriculture in the past seven years which has impacted 250 million people.”
“The African Development Bank and development partners are providing $1.4 billion for the development of 25 Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones in eleven countries,” he said.
Saying that in Nigeria alone, the Bank is developing these zones in eight of the country’s 36 states with $518 million, he said another $1 billion will go into the second phase of the program which will cover 23 more states.
Health Care For All- Sicknesses And Diseases Cost Africa $2.6 trillion In Lost Productivity
On health care, Adesina said Nigeria needs health care for all.
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He said smart governments provide universal basic health coverage for their citizens adding that sicknesses and diseases cost Africa $2.6 trillion in lost productivity.
Adesina also recounted how the Covid-19 pandemic caught Africa unprepared, unprotected and left at the bottom of the ladder when it came to the distribution of vaccines.
He explained the various initiatives the Bank Group introduced to address Africa’s health needs including a $10 billion facility to support countries to cope with the pandemic; a $3 billion program to revamp Africa’s pharmaceutical industries and the recent launch of the African Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation to support access to proprietary technologies from global pharmaceutical companies.
Calling on Nigeria to secure the health of all its population, Adesina said, “This will require ensuring that no citizen travels more than a few kilometers to find a health care center.
“The widespread use of mobile health centers, e-health facilities, the digitalization of health systems, especially in all primary health care centers, health insurance policies for all, including innovative micro-health insurance pay-as-you-go systems, will capture the bulk of the population that is in the informal sector.”
Education For All- Nigeria Accounts For 15% Of The Total Population Of Out-of-school Children
Adesina wants Nigeria leaders to provide education for all.
According to the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF), Nigeria accounts for 15% of the total population of out-of-school children which includes over 10.2 million at the primary school level and 8.1 million at the Junior Secondary School.
“This is not a gold medal Nigeria should be proud of wearing,” he said expressing concern about “the poor funding of universities, lack of basic infrastructure, poor incentives for lecturers and incessant strikes due to wage disputes that have almost crippled the university system.”
Adesina gave an example of the Bank Group’s investment of $614 million in Nigeria’s IDICE program to support the development of digital and creative enterprises.
He said the program is expected to create 6.3 million jobs and add an estimated $6.4 billion to the economy of Nigeria.
Housing For All – 49 percent Of Nigeria’s Population (102 million), Live In Slums.
Adesina told guests that welfarist policies are urgently needed to ensure all Nigerians have access to basic and affordable housing.
He noted that according to data by the UN Habitat, 49 percent of Nigeria’s population which is equivalent to 102 million people, live in slums.
Adesina told guests that welfarist policies are urgently needed to ensure all Nigerians have access to basic and affordable housing.
He noted that according to data by the UN Habitat, 49 percent of Nigeria’s population which is equivalent to 102 million people, live in slums.
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He said what people need is decent housing and not upgrading of slums. “There is nothing like a 5-star slum. A slum is a slum.”
Government Accountability And Fscal Decentralisation For A True Federalism
The Bank Group president said, “Citizen’s accountability forums are needed for the people to have a say in how their nation’s resources are being used and how their governments are performing.”
To enhance transparency and accountability of governments to the people, the African Development Bank is developing a public service delivery index, which will rate governments on the quality-of-service delivery for citizens.
“If people pay taxes, governments must deliver services,” said Adesina.
He said according to the AfDB’s recently published Africa’s Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook, Nigeria is currently experiencing slow growth.
“The end of the country’s fuel subsidy regime and measures to unify the exchange rate have contributed to rapidly rising living and import costs, which have weighed on domestic demand and production, as well as investment, leading to an economic slowdown.
“To get out of the economic quagmire, there is a compelling need for the restructuring of Nigeria. Restructuring should not be driven by political expediency, but economic and financial viability,” said Bank Group president,” he added.
He said for Nigeria to succeed with much needed welfarist and people-centered policies, it is necessary to change the governance system to decentralize greater autonomy to the states.
Saying it was time to pave way for a new Nigeria, Adesina said, “Instead of a Federal Government of Nigeria, we could think of the United States of Nigeria.”
Chairman of the event and Tanzanian President Samia Hassan described Adesina as a dynamic and visionary leader.
“He has a rare ability to turn vision into concrete transformational solutions that impact the lives of millions of people across Africa. Tanzania is one of many African states that have greatly benefited from his dynamic and astute leadership,” she said.
“Through his leadership and support, we have been able to raise $3.8 billion to support the construction of the regional standard gauge railway that will connect Tanzania to the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Burundi.”
Adesina is the fourth recipient of the Award. Past winners include lawyer Afe Babalola, writer and Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, and former South African President Thabo Mbeki.
The Chairman of the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership Selection Committee, Chief Emeka Anyaoku said the Bank Group president was the unanimous choice of the Foundation’s Selection Committee among many other eminent nominees.
Amongst those who sent congratulatory messages to Adesina for the award are the President of the World Bank Group Ajay Banga, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; Chief Executive Officer of Agence Française de Développement Rémy Rioux; Chief Executive Officer of the Global Center on Adaptation Prof. Dr. Patrick Verkooijen, President Emeritus of the World Food Prize Foundation Ambassador Kenneth Quinn and the former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The Chairman of the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership Foundation, and former President of Nigeria Yakubu Gowon said Adesina’s “widely acclaimed achievements as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and two terms as President of the African Development Bank attest to his desirability as the recipient of the 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership”.
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