The speakers said such neoliberal policies leave Nigerians at the mercy of the private investors whose primary interest is making profits.
Some human rights advocates on Monday urged the Nigerian government to desist from abandoning its responsibilities of ensuring the social and economic wellbeing of its people under the guise of implementing market-centric policies.
The speakers, who shared their thoughts at the civil society and human rights defenders' forum organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Abuja, said such policies leave the people at the mercy of the private investors whose primary interest is making profits.
They cited the proliferation of private schools and hospitals, which render services at costs far beyond the reach of many Nigerians, while the government-owned institutions remain in poor state.
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The Country Director of Care Nigeria, Hussaini Abdu, who set the tone of the deliberation on the issues, spoke of how the neoliberal policies championed by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organisation (WTO), have rather impoverished citizens.
Mr Abdu, who described the global bodies as "the holy trinity of the neoliberal world," said their model of economic development, which hinges on austerity measures bodies, does not work.
"They advance austerity measures. They ask you to remove the subsidy. They tell you the government has no business in providing for you and that the market will take care of it. And therefore, when your economy grows, then it will begin to percolate down to the poor. And have turned everybody, 73 per cent of Nigerians, into sadaka yala (beggars)," Mr Abdu said.
The NHRC's event was designed to be part of the build-up to the 10 December International Human Rights Day and the commission's 30 years anniversary commemoration.
Mr Abdu, who spoke during a plenary session on 'Freedom from Fear and Want: Securing the Dignity in Nigeria,' noted that Nigeria often adopted external prescriptions for economic growth to secure legitimacy and validation from foreign nations.
He said his call was not to criticise the polices of the world bodies but to charge the government to be responsible to its people, by providing, including, a support system and protection of right to basic income of its citizens.
He criticised the government's dependence on the private sector to provide welfare.
"The philosophy that drives governance is different from the philosophy of business. Governance is about service. Business is about profits. And therefore, when you say the private sector should come and participate, you are actually saying the private sector should come and extract," he said.
He drew the attention of the participants to the invasion of the private sector in education and health care. He lamented the state of the government-owned health and education sector.
Poor funding of public institutions
Responding to the issues Mr Abdu raised, Aisha Abubakar, a representative of Kemi Okonyedo, Executive Director, Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), suggested funding of institutions.
Drawing from her experiences in dealing with marginalised groups, she said, "The issue of funding has actually aggravated these issues in our system. In the sense that an average policeman cannot be able to visit the site of crime and give his own assistance based on the fact that he doesn't have the money to transport himself there. Or rather, as money has been given, but it has not cascaded down to him."
Similarly, the Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Joseph Ochogwu, advised that the government invest in soft components, "invest on the soft side, issues around peace, issues around human rights, the well-being of society, they are properly important areas."
Economic marginalisation, driver of fear
He noted that a lot of Nigerians are afraid because they are economically marginalised.
Speaking of freedom from fear, Mr Ochogwu suggested that for the economically marginalised, fear is directly linked to structural failures in society, whether economic expressions such as the inability to assess risk in marriage or in public health (high mortality rates in childbirth). These dictate life choices.
"So, when society does not address some of those very basic things that people are scared of achieving their dreams, then of course society will be on the decline."
Similarly, Mr Abdu said the fundamental concepts of freedom from want are far more significant than just constitutional provisions; they are the foundation of the nation's participation in the international scene.
When asked about Nigeria's performance, Senior Human Rights Adviser UNOHCHR, Adwoa Kuffour, said, "Nigeria is doing just as well as all the other members of the United Nations family."
Ms Kuffour noted that while Nigeria has made progress, there are certainly challenges.
"There are challenges in terms of reporting, certainly, to the treaty bodies. But again, as I said, this is not a challenge peculiar to Nigeria itself. There are other countries that face similar challenges."
She stated that with the implementation of agreements and treaties that Nigeria has willingly signed, most of the issues would be solved.
A quick fix not the solution: Women education is key
Mr Abdu warned against a quick fix by the government. He stressed that the government needed to balance population and productivity.
He also noted that the level of centralisation in the federal system is inhibitory.
Speaking of the issues surrounding poverty in Northern Nigeria, he hammered home significance of the education of women.
He said, "And we cannot transform the socio-economic condition of the northern part of the country without transforming the condition of women.
"It actually means that we must expand women's access to education. When we expand women's access to education, we have fundamentally reduced the challenges of illiteracy and the challenges of health and health services, and maternal mortality.
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"Evidence around the world tells us that if you educate a woman up to secondary school level, you can reduce maternal mortality by 60 per cent. And it's such a cheap thing to do."
He concluded by advising Nigerians to change their philosophy of governance. He called for the improvement of social amenities rather than physical structures.
"Overhead bridges, bypasses, underpasses, massive secretariats, huge government houses. It is irresponsible for a state that has been struggling with a humanitarian crisis for 15 years to have resources to build overhead bridges. It does not make sense."
He noted that the funds spent on building legacy projects could be used to provide better health services, education, and connect villages. Mr Abdu stressed that connecting villages could open up markets and increase economic growth.
He stated that for the country to change, the values also needed to change.
Poverty rate in Nigeria
Poverty remains a persistent problem in Nigeria. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 63 per cent of Nigerians (133 million people) are multidimensionally poor.
Out of this figure, 65 per cent of the poor (86 million people) live in the North, while 35 per cent (nearly 47 million) live in the South.
The poverty levels are projected to hit 61 percent in 2025 as 139 million people slipped below $3 per person per day.
