As part of improved cooperation between Nigeria and the U.S. to reduce poverty in Nigeria, the world’s largest economy, through the United States Agency for International Development, will soon hand out $2.3 billion assistance agreement fund to Nigeria.
Vice President YemiOsinbajo, along with Michael Harvey, USAID’s head of mission, signed the agreement at Aso Rock last week, according to LaoluAkande, media aide to Osinbajo
Akande said the fund will cover five years, and will help Nigeria tackle acute poverty within the timeframe. He noted the assistance will also focus economy, health, education and governance.
Northeastern Nigeria will be among the areas of concentration in utilizing the development aid. Apart from the Boko Haram insurgency ravaging that region, the problem of out-of-school children is also rampant, and Osinbajo said the government, too, is already taking measures to address it.
The media adviser quoted Osinbajo as saying, “The issue of the extreme poverty of a vast majority of Nigerians is a very important issue for us. It is at the heart of our economic policy. You can’t have that vast number of poor people and don’t plan around that and for us this is crucial and absolutely important.”
Harvey said the agreement would provide a solid foundation for the partnership between the two countries to reduce inequalities across Nigeria.
Nigeria, a 2014 World Bank report revealed, has the third largest chunk of the world’s have-nots: 33 percent. There are 760 million world inhabitants crushed under extreme poverty, according to Kim Jong Yin, WB’s president.
Excited about how the U.S. has been working to help tackle Nigeria’s problems, Osinbajo noted since President MuhammaduBuhari’s visited the U.S. July, Nigeria has seen better cooperation from the President Barrack Obama administration.
The VP promised the present administration would make governance inclusive and transparent in its planning and execution of development and economic policies.
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