The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajero, has voiced concerns over the recently announced N5 billion palliative package per state by the Federal Government. In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today show, Ajero highlighted that the allocation, when distributed among over 133 million Nigerians classified as multi-dimensionally poor, would only amount to a meager N1500 per person.
Ajero’s calculations were based on statistics he obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics, which reveals the vast number of Nigerians living in multi-dimensional poverty. He emphasized that even if the funds were converted into the value of six trailers of rice, the impact on each individual would still be minimal – not even equivalent to a cup of rice.
The NLC leader asserted that considering the dire economic situation and the staggering number of Nigerians grappling with poverty, the N185 billion total fund distributed across the population would have negligible effects. He cited the progression of poverty from the first increase in petrol pump prices to the most recent one, underscoring how many individuals have slipped into severe poverty during this period.
In Ajero’s words, “Even if you calculate and do an arithmetic on that, you will discover that it won’t amount to N1500 per person, and you ask if that’s the impact that we want to achieve.”
These remarks from the NLC President highlight the complex challenge of addressing poverty through financial relief measures and the necessity of more comprehensive strategies to uplift the socio-economic conditions of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.