President of African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina stated Nigerians should not be poor with the abundant natural resources that Nigeria is endowed with.
‘Nigerians deserve wealth, not poverty’, he said at a convocation lecture at American University of Nigeria(AUN) in Yola, Adamawa state.
‘For all the abundant wealth of natural resources, Nigeria’s poverty situation is unacceptable”, Adesina said.
‘Today, sadly, there are way too many poor people in Nigeria. The Government is implementing bold social programs to reduce the number of poor, through interventionist programs, but the fact of the matter is poverty is not just about money.
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‘There is poverty of health, and yet we know that health is wealth.
‘The COVID-19 pandemic has further revealed the weaknesses of Nigeria’s health care systems. From diagnostic and testing centers, access to vaccines, and hospital infrastructure, the health care systems were overwhelmed.
‘I commend the spirited efforts of the Federal and State governments, and the private sector, in mobilizing resources to tackle the pandemic.
‘The African Development Bank provided $288.5 million to support the efforts of the Nigerian government in responding to the pandemic.
‘But we must go further. Nigeria must manufacture vaccines locally.
‘There is a lot to change to secure the health of the population.
‘Less than 5% of the population have access to insurance with the National Health Insurance Service. Over 90% of Nigerians have no health insurance.
‘You can see the effects on the lives of people.
‘Nigerians are not living long compared to other countries. Life expectancy in Nigeria is only 60 years (2020), compared to 70 years in India, 81 years in the UK, 80 years in the US, 82 years in Norway, and 86 years in Singapore’.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
