100 days in office: Sokoto Govt. to lift 6m people out of poverty

Gov. Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State says his administration has plans to support the lives of 670,346 people out of poverty in his first 100 days in office.

Aliyu said this during this year’s World Population Day celebration on Tuesday in Sokoto.

He said that the plans were borne out of his determination to reverse the high poverty prevalence rate in the state.

He described the theme of the celebration, “Unleashing the power of gender: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our worlds infinite possibilities”, as apt and timely.

The governor, represented by the Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Arzuka Bodinga, said that the measures outlined to achieve the target included the distribution of palliatives.

Other were the plans to support vulnerable persons, internally displaced persons and small-scale farmers with inputs and other livelihood items.

He further said that the Central Bank of Nigeria would also distribute grains as palliatives to citizens along with other long term activities planned to enhance the people’s livelihood.

He lamented the position of the state in the last poverty rate index and urged stakeholders to support State Government on its commitment to improve the lives and wellbeing of the people.

He also spoke on the numerous challenges that set the state backward, such as insecurity, poor sanitary and health services and fallen standard of education, saying that he was fully committed to reverse the ugly trend.

Aliyu urged the traditional institutions, donor agencies and other stakeholders to ensure effective sensitisation on the need for budgetary allocations on family planning, mortality rates and other demographic planning to check population upsurge.

Earlier, the National Population Commission Commissioner in charge of the state, Alhaji Ciso Dattijo, said the state had approximately 6.2 million people, according to the projected figure.

Dattijo, represented by a Director in the ministry, Alhaji Malami Marafa-Gagi, said Nigeria was listed among the countries with rapidly growing population with high percentage being expected in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He said that women and girls represented almost 49.9 per cent, which required more attention, pointing out that this year’s theme fully reflected the needs.

Dattijo described the empowering of women and girls as fundamental to achieving enduring peace, progress and prosperity in the country and world at large.

According to him, achieving gender equity entails securing access to quality education, access to decent employment, involvement in decision making, affordable health system and right to reproductive choices, amongst others.

He commended the United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA) and other supporting donor organisations for thier support to the nation’s communities.

The UNFPA Desk Officer in the state, Mrs Gloria Enuaze, said that the agency was committed to improving reproductive health where pregnancy is wanted, safe maternal birth and improving young persons potentiality.

She reassured the government that the organisation would continue to support the state and nation at large.

In a contribution, the District Head of Gagi, Alhaji Sani Umar-Jabbi, called on stakeholders to intensify efforts toward checkmating population upsurge through proper budgetary allocations and plannings on maternal health and family planning advocacies.

Umar-Jabbi emphasised the need for collaborating with religious and traditional institutions in changing the people’s mindsets to have good approach on accessing health system and promoting gender equitable norms.
(NAN)