Friday, March 29, 2024

43 million Nigerians earn N200,000 or less annually – SERAP

A new report by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) says no fewer than 43 million Nigerians earn N200,000 or less in one year.

The report lamented how widespread and systemic corruption in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) is making Nigerians poorer.

It found that budget fraud, procurement fraud, embezzlement of funds among other infractions affect education, water and health service delivery.

The report is titled, “The Ignored Pandemic: How corruption in the health, education and water sectors is plunging Nigerians further into poverty.”

“48.90% of people living in poverty, more than 27,453,154 earned less than 100 thousand Naira per annum. 27.9 per cent, more than 15,663,456 earned between 100 and 200 thousand Naira per annum”, it noted.

Findings show that 61 percent of people living in poor areas have no formal/senior secondary education; 57.30 percent of people in such neighbourhoods were youths between 18 and 35 years old.

Many of the 36 states have no documented policies for helping people living in poverty or people earning low income to have access to health, education and water.

The report urges President Muhammadu Buhari to propose an executive bill to amend the 1999 Constitution [as amended] to recognize Nigerians’ socio-economic rights, including the rights to quality standard of living.

It calls for the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which allows persons whose socio-economic rights are violated to access accountability mechanisms

In other statistics, 10.70 percent earned between 201 and 300 thousand Naira per annum; 12.50% earned more than 300 Naira per annum.

Also, 65 percent of people living in poor neighbourhoods stayed in either one-bedroom or two-bedroom accommodation; up to 4% of people living in poverty, about 2,245,657 have physical disabilities.

Only 19 percent of people living in poor neighbourhoods get water from governmental providers. 23.96 percent, more than 10,626,673 people living in poverty, got water from streams or rivers; 10.51 percent got water from neighbours’ houses; and 1.54% received water from other sources.

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The survey combined quantitative and qualitative research methods. The assessment covered the six geopolitical zones of the country and relied on data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The States with the highest and lowest population of people living in poverty were selected from each geopolitical zone.

The SERAP report urged the Buhari administration to publish the criteria for eligibility for the National Social Register of Poor and Vulnerable Households, cash transfers and similar social programmes.

The President was asked to increase investment in public health, education services, clean water and others for the benefit of the majority of the population.

The budgetary allocations to renovate the National Assembly complex should be redirected to vulnerable citizens including women, children, persons with disabilities, and the elderly, the report suggested.

“The leadership of the National Assembly should ensure that the relevant parliamentary committees collaborate to initiate independent public enquiries and fact-finding on how public funds have been spent on education, healthcare and water since the return of democracy in 1999″, it recommended.

The report demanded that the NASS release reports of investigations into allegations of corruption in MDAs and tasked relevant agencies to carry out further probe and prosecution.

Signature TV
Signature TVhttps://signaturetv.isitedigitals.com
Signature TV is a multi-media company, owners and operators of signaturetv.org and producers of The Signature Show on AIT and Corruption Tori. Our programmes are broadcast on the AIT Network and on Seven NTA stations across the country. We are content providers for a number of television networks and some State TV stations, with a respected 24/7, high online and offline followership. We are also Communications/Media Consultants to MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation and OSIWA.

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