Nigeria is the most striking example of how resource-rich countries have a lower standard of living due to the fact that certain groups of people have control over those resources. And to implement this control, these groups are keeping the entire nation in poverty.
Concept of poverty
Poverty is an economic situation of an individual or social group where they cannot satisfy a specific range of the minimum needs necessary for living. Poverty is a relative concept and it depends on the general standard of living in the community.
Poverty is a consequence of diverse and interrelated reasons, which are combined into the following groups:
- economic (unemployment, social inequality, including low wages, low productivity, lack of competitiveness of the industry),
- social and medical (disability, old age, high rate of morbidity),
- demographic (single-parent families, a large number of dependants in the family, overpopulation),
- educational (low educational level),
- political (military conflict, forced migration),
- regional and geographic (uneven development of regions).
Poverty in Nigeria
Nigeria is a country which produces columbite, tantalum, gold, zirconium, tungsten, uranium, thorium and more. In terms of production of columbite, Nigeria is a world leader, and it enters the top ten when it comes to tin mining.
Despite the fact that the country is so rich in natural resources, the people of Nigeria live below the poverty line. Many people in the country can't feed themselves properly. 20% of Nigerian population barely make ends meet, and only about 10% are comfortable. The difference between rich and poor in this country reaches a level beyond comprehension. In the capital of Nigeria you can find the most luxurious villas and cars.
What causes poverty in Nigeria?
There are many reasons for poverty, and they are different in every country. Speaking of causes of absolute poverty in Nigeria, we specified the following ones:
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Since its establishment, government corruption overran Nigeria. This is one of the major reasons for poverty in the country. Government authorities regularly take payments from oil companies that should go into public trusts - payments which can often be more than USD 1 billion - and rather siphon that cash into their bank accounts.
When government authorities take part in these corruption schemes, the poor and the under-served in Nigeria are definitely affected. If these huge amounts of money stopped going into government authorities' accounts, that money could be used for the development of the country's infrastructure - streets, running water and more.
2. Lack of Economic Infrastructure
Infrastructure is very important for the country for many reasons, and it plays a significant role when it comes to emerging from poverty. Economic infrastructure in Nigeria involves access to micro-loans that help farmers keep their farm and make their living.
Another cause of poverty is the fact that most Nigerians are simply deadlocked under certain circumstances and they do not have the ability to change something in their lives. With a stable economic system, which would give Nigerians the opportunity to develop, the prosperity of the country will happen rapidly.
3. Poor Access to Education
One of the causes of poverty in Nigeria is poor access to education. Education is the foundation that gives a person a chance to have a successful career in future. But, unfortunately, not everyone has access to this essential foundation. At the moment, the poorest people in Nigeria simply have no stable access to education. 10.5 million Nigerian children do not attend school at all, and 60% of these children are girls.
These problems are most common in the Northern part of the country. Also, Boko Haram terrorists, who established themselves as the ardent opponents of Western education, add fuel to the fire. Education provides the tools required for the work and professional development, and lack of these opportunities is one of the damaging causes of poverty in Nigeria.
4. Poor Access to Healthcare
Nigeria is one of the most largest countries in Africa in terms of population, but the quality of medical services in the country lags too far behind. And of course, poor access to health care is another cause of poverty.
Due to a lack of specialists and medicines, many people in Nigeria either are not treated at all, or they do not get proper medical services. Additionally, treatment is often expensive, and that is another reason why people don't get medical care. Improving access to Nigerian healthcare is an important step to reduce poverty in Nigeria.
At first, all these problems can seem complicated and almost unsolvable. But understanding the problem and knowing the origin of its root is extremely important to finding the solution. UNICEF and the UN have launched several initiatives to strengthen the economy, education and to improve healthcare in Nigeria and reduce the level of corruption among the authorities. In turn, Nigeria shows its ability to cooperate with foreign partners and the desire to improve the life of people. Working hard and finding effective solutions to problems is the way out of poverty.
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