On Sunday, Uwak expressed concerns about the high levels of poverty and significant inequality in the country which he identified as threats to national security, stability, and unity.
"Nigeria's approach to poverty alleviation should be seen as a development policy, not merely a charitable endeavor. This is why these programs are not only ineffective but also unsustainable," Uwak said.
These remarks coincide with Nigeria's ranking in 2023 as the country with the highest poverty rate globally, as reported by the World Poverty Clock and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) which indicates that 71 million individuals live in extreme poverty, while 133 million out of Nigeria's total population of 214 million are experiencing multidimensional poverty.
Uwak praised President Bola Tinubu for his efforts to distribute resources more equitably, particularly in the face of declining government revenue. Nonetheless, he stressed that a more sustainable approach is imperative to address this challenging situation.
“While the equitable resource allocation is commendable, we need to rethink our strategies and adopt a more sustainable approach to poverty reduction,” Uwak urged.
In line with this, Uwak expressed deep concerns over the poor standard of living, high unemployment rates, and low wages in the country.
He urged for collective action to tackle these issues, underscoring the urgency of restructuring poverty reduction strategies in Nigeria.
“Our current state of high unemployment, low wages, and poor living standards calls for a collective action. It is time we restructure and change our approach on poverty reduction,” he concluded.
