The Federal Government yesterday identified poverty and vulnerability as two major challenges confronting the country.
The Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, disclosed this during the opening ceremony of a two-day policy and programmatic dialogue workshop on Nigeria's poverty profile and social register.
Akume, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Esuabana Nko-Asanye, said it was crucial to recognise the impact of the issues of poverty and vulnerability on Nigerian citizens.
He said: "Poverty and vulnerability remain pressing challenges in our country, and as we gather here today (yesterday), it is crucial to recognise the impact of these issues on our fellow citizens.
"Despite progress in reducing poverty rates in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented us with new challenges, pushing approximately 63 per cent of our population into multi-dimensional poverty, of which almost 70 million are children.
"This setback emphasises the urgency to strengthen our efforts in mitigating these issues and improving the lives of millions of Nigerians."
The SGF said Nigeria's social inequalities had further exacerbated the situation, as access to essential resources such as food, education, healthcare, and infrastructure was unevenly distributed.
"Women, children, and persons with disabilities are among the most vulnerable groups facing poverty, ill- health, and economic shocks," he said.
In his remarks, the country representative, UNICEF Nigeria, Christian Munduate, applauded various efforts of government and development partners in combating poverty and vulnerability.
Munduate said she had personally witnessed the menace of poverty across the country and its toll in several aspects of people's lives, including education.
"From Lagos to Sokoto, I have met individual like Tutu, a struggling single mother, and Umar, a child deprived of education, who personify the reality of our poverty statistics.
"As of 2022, 63 per cent of our population faces deprivation, a disturbing figure that includes 70 million children," she said.
