The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Joe Ajero, emphasized that the N5 billion palliative package per state, recently announced by the Federal Government, would translate to less than N1500 per person when divided among the more than 133 million multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians.
Speaking during an interview on the Politics Today show on Channels Television, Ajero highlighted that the allocation of N185 billion would not result in significant change considering the vast number of impoverished individuals, as per data from the National Bureau of Statistics.
He further illustrated that even if the funds were converted to the value of six trailers of rice, the share for each individual would be negligible, equivalent to just a cup of rice.
Ajero also pointed out that the continuous increase in petrol pump prices has led to a significant rise in poverty levels, with many individuals transitioning from borderline poverty to a higher degree of impoverishment.
He underscored the challenge of making a noticeable impact with N185 billion distributed among 133 million multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians, particularly in the context of the Bureau of Statistics’ findings.
In concluding his remarks, Ajero questioned the effectiveness of the proposed amount, indicating that the resulting N1500 per person from the distribution wouldn’t achieve the desired impact, considering the prevailing circumstances and the scale of poverty faced by the population.
