At Yakubu Gowon’s 90th birthday lecture, African Development Bank (AfDB) President Akinwumi Adesina voiced concerns about the increasing levels of Poverty and Insecurity in Nigeria. He emphasised that the genuine Economy of Nigeria is being undermined by the fact that criminal organisations dominate a substantial chunk of the nation. Adesina stated, citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), that 63% of Nigerians suffer from multidimensional poverty, with extreme deprivation in areas including housing, food security, healthcare, and sanitation, especially in rural areas. He emphasised that because the north of Nigeria is home to 65% of the nation’s impoverished, the region is disproportionately affected.
Living conditions are getting worse as a result of increased crime rates brought on by poverty. Adesina demanded immediate action to resolve these problems, stressing the need to prioritise young employment, healthcare, and Education while also restoring Security and stabilising communities. In particular, he promoted the employment of drones, artificial intelligence, satellite imaging, and digital monitoring techniques to fight insecurity in agricultural areas. Adesina also stated that in order to increase Nigeria’s involvement in international agricultural value chains, the AfDB and partners are spending approximately $840 million in agro-industrial zones spanning eight states.
Nigeria’s population is projected to reach over 400 million by 2050.
A confluence of historical, socio-political, and economic reasons makes poverty in northern Nigeria especially bad. Decades of unethical practices, inadequate infrastructure, and bad government have made the region’s long-standing Underdevelopment worse. Lack of investment, climate change, and instability have severely harmed the agricultural industry, which is the main source of income for many people in the north. Further destabilising the region and uprooting millions of people while upsetting economic operations, especially farming, are the Boko Haram Insurgency and the growth of Banditry in the North East and North West.
Over 65% of people in the region, as opposed to 35% in southern Nigeria, live below the poverty line, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. This inequality is caused by the region’s weak economic base, restricted access to education, and subpar healthcare facilities in addition to the insecurity that exists there. Experts note that the poverty situation is made worse by the region’s rapid population expansion. According to UN estimates, Nigeria’s population is projected to reach over 400 million by 2050, with the country’s north at the centre of this demographic explosion. Low levels of education, particularly among women, and insufficient social services in the area limit economic production and keep families stuck in a cycle of poverty.
Drones and AI might be used to track criminal groups’ movements.
Security measures in the area might be completely transformed by Adesina’s recommendation to employ Technology to combat instability. Examples of this technology include drones, artificial intelligence (AI), and satellite images. Drones and AI might be used to track criminal groups’ movements and monitor conflict-prone locations in real time, providing information that would enable prompt military or police intervention. In order to facilitate recovery efforts, satellite imagery can be used to assess damage to farmlands and other infrastructure. Drones have been effectively utilised in Rwanda and Kenya for agricultural surveillance; Nigerian farmers could benefit from the employment of similar technology to secure their transportation corridors.
Food security could be improved if this helps people trust farming as a secure and profitable career. Significant changes might also result from the planned Investment in unique agro-industrial processing zones. Nigeria might transition from exporting raw materials to enhancing its products’ value and boosting its competitiveness in international markets by setting up centres where local farmers can process their stuff. As a result, rural farmers would earn more money, employment would be created, and post-harvest losses would decrease.
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However, thorough policy backing and appropriate implementation are essential to guarantee the success of these initiatives. Transparency in handling finances and making sure resources reach the most impacted populations are crucial, according to experts like former World Bank economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Investments might not reach their full potential without it. Additionally, education spending is still crucial to producing a more competent labour force that can maintain these economic benefits over time, especially for women and young people in northern Nigeria.