By Christiana Amodu-Otinyia, Abuja
In a bid to set an agenda for the economy as the inauguration of a new administration ion Nigeria, Oxfam Nigeria has urged the incoming administration of President-Elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritize urgent steps towards ending hunger, reducing inequality, and reducing the number of Nigerians living below the poverty line.
In a statement signed by the country director, Oxfam Nigeria, Dr. Vincent Ahonsi the group disclosed that though significant growth has been achieved in the SME sector recently, there is still much to be done to further leverage the opportunities the ecosystem presents.
Oxfam added that “To stimulate economic recovery the new government needs to realize that Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are key to building the economy that is fair and just as they constitute sustainable approach to tackling the developmental challenges that the economy is facing. The SME sector has proven to be the backbone of major developed and emerging economies, as an important contributor to employment and economic growth.”
They also urged the new administration to narrow the wide education inequality between the rich and the poor while investing significantly in free universal education, with an emphasis on improving access to high-quality primary and secondary education.
The group charged the incoming government should as a matter of priority invest a minimum of 15% of the national budget in the health sector and also allocate at least 10% of the budget to Agriculture, encouraging women and youth in agricultural businesses with farm inputs.