The United Nations’ International Day for the Eradication of Poverty marked on October 17 every year is an important moment for highlighting the issue of poverty worldwide. The UN initiated this special day to raise awareness on the necessity of eradicating poverty. Since its inception in 1992, the Day serves as a reminder of the UN’s commitment to ensuring a better future for those facing poverty worldwide.

Poverty leads to several problems like illiteracy, malnourishment, health issues, crime, corruption, and social disharmony or conflicts. Therefore, the United Nations theme for the 2023 celebration is: “Dignity for All in Practice”. It aims towards reducing poverty to a level where everyone will enjoy their due share of human dignity.

Poverty can negatively affect society in several ways. It leads to social unrest and conflict, as those unable to access basic necessities fight for their rights. The primary reason for the multi-frontal conflicts in Nigeria arising from terrorism, banditry, herdsmen terrorism, kidnapping for ransom and other violent crimes, is poverty. Unfortunately, insecurity worsens poverty because people who provide food for the nation are driven off their farms and into Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps.

Poverty can lead to economic downfall as those without financial resources cannot contribute to economic development. In poorly-governed countries like Nigeria, government makes policies that lead to mass poverty as in the case of the removal of petrol subsidy. The so-called palliative measures are expensive jokes, and do not help in mitigating the negative effects of the policy.

When poverty becomes the lot of a country and its people, it leads to a lack of education and healthcare and deteriorating overall social standards. Poverty is a self-reinforcing social malaise. It requires good and patriotic governance to tackle.

Nations need to invest in their citizens by providing better education and healthcare facilities. This will help their citizens gain access to better-paying jobs, thus reducing the poverty rate. The government could implement social welfare programmes to assist the people get involved in wealth creation schemes. The concept of teaching people how to fish rather than giving them fish is always a winner if properly implemented.

The idea of providing “palliatives” is a failure in Nigeria because it is not sustainable. It is usually a drop in the ocean for those who benefit. Most importantly, it is an avenue for corrupt self-enrichment by the government agents and politicians implementing it. Government should commit strongly to provision of affordable and decent housing and providing subsidies to encourage productivity. Education and health are central to poverty eradication and improvement in the standard of living.

The UN has taken the lead in the fight against poverty. It is left for government and groups within society to collaborate to fight it and its effects.

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