From Theresa Egba, Abuja
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has explained that expanding the sources of growth and ensuring it is pro-poor remains key elements for reducing the levels of poverty in Nigeria.
Speaking during a breakfast meeting with the media, the new Head of the United Nations System and UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Fatma Samoura, noted that UNDP was providing strategic support to the government of Nigeria in two key areas that will help expand growth, including support to interventions aimed at transforming the country’s agricultural sector, and strengthening the solid minerals sector.
In collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Africa Facility for Inclusive Markets of the UNDP Regional Centre, UNDP will by next month be launching a project on ‘Agricultural Supplier Development Programme (ASDP).
According to her, this new project will create employment opportunities, and increase income and output for rural farmers, it will also strengthen the commodity supply chains by narrowing the gaps between farmers and retailers while the cooperation framework for strengthening the solid minerals sector between the Ministry of Solid Minerals and UNDP Nigeria is being developed.
She stressed that this framework was also aimed at exploring avenues for increasing the production of minerals to generate revenue for the country as well as create employment opportunities for the million unemployed Nigerians.
“UNDP is working with both the Federal and State governments because we believe that these two sectors have great potential to drive growth further. Nigeria has experienced growth in the recent past and now is Africa’s largest economy. However, this growth has not translated in poverty reduction and reduced inequalities. For the gains made to be sustained, the country needed to urgently look at ways of expanding its sources of growth. As Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria needed to address inequalities that continue to exist noting that growth that is not inclusive is not sustainable”, She noted.
Samoura pointed out that UNDP will continue to support the government in strengthening the country’s democratic governance and help build on the successes scored in the past, including the successful 2015 elections, focus will be placed on further strengthening of the electoral process, provision of policy support, and enhancement of transparency in the public sector.
“For the country to succeed in preventing corruption from taking place, the present political will needs to be supported by strong institutions.” She emphasized. UNDP will therefore continue providing the support to the government to ensure it succeeds in its fight against corruption.