Employ Welfarist Policies and People-Centred Development in Tackling Poverty
By Abdi Ali
Published March 11, 2024
Given the high levels of poverty in Africa, what is needed are welfarist policies that exponentially expand opportunities for all, reduce inequalities and improve the quality of life of people.
Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, has said this while receiving Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, on March 6, 2024. The award promotes the legacy and democratic ideals of the late Nigerian nationalist and federalist leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
RELATED: East Africa Enhances Trade with African Development Bank’s Support
Adesina identified five areas that African leaders ought to focus on to transform their economies and their people’s lives: The transformation of the rural economy and food security, health security for all, education for all, affordable housing for all and government accountability and fiscal decentralisation.
Saying a better Africa must start with transforming rural economies, Adesina said “When rural economies falter, nations falter.”
RELATED: China Development Bank and African Export-Import Bank to Support Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
He said “smart governments provide universal basic health coverage for their citizens” as sicknesses and diseases cost Africa US$2.6 trillion in lost productivity.
Calling on leaders to secure the health of all their population, Adesina said, “This will require ensuring that no citizen travels more than a few kilometers to find a health care centre. The widespread use of mobile health centres, e-health facilities, the digitalization of health systems, especially in all primary health care centres, health insurance policies for all, including innovative micro-health insurance pay-as-you-go systems, will capture the bulk of the population that is in the informal sector.”
RELATED: Tanzania Invites Stakeholders to Mining and Investment Forum
Dr Adesina also urged leaders to provide education for all their citizens. He expressed expressed concern about “the poor funding of universities, lack of basic infrastructure, poor incentives for lecturers and incessant strikes due to wage disputes,” that he said “have almost crippled the university system” in Nigeria.
Adesina, an Agricultural Economist who has served as a Cabinet Minister in Nigeria, told guests that welfarist policies are urgently needed to ensure all citizens have access to basic and affordable housing.
He said what people need is decent housing and not upgrading of slums. “There is nothing like a 5-star slum. A slum is a slum.”
RELATED: There Is Hope For Widows
“Citizen’s accountability forums are needed for the people to have a say in how their nation’s resources are being used and how their governments are performing,” he noted. “If people pay taxes, governments must deliver services.”
