An investigation by Sunday PUNCH has revealed that fifteen Northern States of the country spent N45 billion on poverty alleviation programmes between January and June 2024.
Recall that on Friday, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, reported that Nigeria’s inflation headline rate surged to 33.88 per cent in October 2024. Which was rise from 32.70 per cent in September 2024.
In January, the country’s inflation rate was 29.90 per cent, indicating that it had increased by 13 per cent within the first 10 months of the year.
According to the report, the effect of the inflation is felt the most in the northern States. A region that reportedly has the highest poverty rate in the country.
This was even as the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, in April 2024, decried the high level of poverty in Northern Nigeria, especially the Northwest.
According to the NSA, the region had the highest poverty rate in the country. With a national average of 40.1 per cent as of 2019.
Ribadu made this revelation while delivering a paper, titled “Navigating the Maze: Addressing Multi-Dimensional Insecurity Challenges in Northern Nigeria,” at the combined convocation lecture of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto. He also identified Sokoto State as the worst-hit in the region.
Ribadu’s submission was confirmed by the Multidimensional Poverty Index Survey launched by the NBS for the 35 States and the Federal Capital Territory in 2022. The survey noted the high rate of poverty in Northern Nigeria.
According to the survey, 65 per cent (86 million people) of the 63 per cent (133 million people) poor individuals in Nigeria reside in the North.
“It stated that 91 per cent of people in Sokoto State are poor. While listing the proportion of multidimensionally poor for other Northern States as Jigawa (83.3), Zamfara (82.70) and Yobe (81.70). Others are Bauchi (81.30), Kebbi (79.10), Katsina (77.50), Gombe (77.40), Kano (68.80), Taraba (65.10), Borno (64.0), Niger (61.60), Adamawa (59.90).
However, an investigation by Sunday PUNCH showed that about 15 of the 19 Northern States spent the sum of N45,323,220,202. The amount was spent on several programmes between January and June 2024.
The States, according to the investigation are Zamfara, Yobe, Plateau, Niger, Nasarawa, Kwara and Kogi. Others are Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna, Jigawa, Gombe, Borno, Bauchi, and Adamawa.
According to Sunday PUNCH, the figures were derived from an analysis of the budget implementation reports of the States. And were obtained from the Open Nigerian States, a BudgIT-backed website serving as a repository for government budget data.
The performance report is prepared quarterly and issued within four weeks of each quarter’s end.
The investigation also revealed that during the same period, the States received over N325 billion in grants and aid. This amount was gotten from various financial institutions across the globe.
It revealed, however, that despite getting financial aid worth N5.3 billion, there was no record that Kano State spent any amount on poverty alleviation programmes. This is even when about 68.8 per cent of the population of the State lived below the national poverty line.
The investigation revealed that Zamfara State, with an 82 per cent poor population, spent only N1.3m on poverty alleviation programmes. This is despite getting N52.8bn in grants alone during the period under review.
Yobe State spent N16 billion was on poverty alleviation programmes, notwithstanding receiving N53bn in grants.
The report held that Plateau spent N3.6bn, Niger N280m, Nasarawa N94m, Kwara N583m, Kogi N14bn, Kebbi N54m, and Katsina N16m. Kaduna N13m, Jigawa N6bn, Gombe spent N1.8bn, Borno N3.2bn, Bauchi N850m, and Adamawa N839m.
source: PUNCH
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