*Says over 60% Nigerians live in abject poverty
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Mr. Peter Obi, has reiterated that the security challenges bedeviling Africa are directly linked to poverty, with over 50% of the population are multi-dimensionally poor.
Speaking at the weekend in Athens, capital of Greece, at an international dialogue of global leaders that included former presidents and top government officials, Obi listed unemployment, corruption, poverty, and inequality among the malaise militating against security and peaceful co-existence in Africa.
“I joined global leaders, former presidents, prime ministers, serving and retired senior government officials, military chiefs, renowned academics, sports personalities, and others in Athens, Greece, for a Leadership Dialogue focused on governance, particularly in the areas of security and the economy in today’s world, and the lessons for future leaders.
“In my brief presentation, I emphasized that as leaders, we must acknowledge the profound global and generational transformations confronting us. Despite vast human and material resources, there remain significant unmet needs in global governance.
“Urgent attention must be given to enhancing collective security, lifting people out of poverty, and reducing injustice and inequality in society.
“In Africa, we face high levels of insecurity, alarming corruption, worsening poverty, huge youth unemployment, and gross inequality.
“Over 50% of the world’s multidimensional poor live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria and Congo both have over 60% of their populations living in poverty and suffer from unacceptable levels of inequality.
“Non-state actors have now taken over the security in some African nations. Furthermore, many African countries underinvest in critical areas of development, such as health and education”.
Ob insisted that African leaders must confront insecurity head-on and reassure citizens of the state’s ability to maintain security without being undermined by non-state actors.
He added that corruption must be tackled with vigor, stressing that leaders must invest in critical areas of development to improve health and education while addressing poverty, unemployment, hunger, and other pressing societal challenges.
