By Justina Auta
Actionaid Nigeria, a social justice organisation, has reviewed itss strategy and engaged the media in alleviating at least five million Nigerians out of poverty.
It’s Country Director, Mr Andrew Mamedu, said this at a media engagement on Wednesday in Abuja.
Mamedu noted the high poverty rates in the country, adding that the deployment of new strategies through collaboration with the media, communities and government would eradicate poverty and redistribution of wealth in the country.
“For us, media is not just a tool, but partners in progress to achieve the five million people we want to contribute to take out of poverty.
”We will take five million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years. That is one of the mandates we are doing now.
”We are in the process of reviewing our current strategy and we are looking at plans, strategies and processes on how to achieve that.
“Is it achievable? Yes, China, India, in one swift got about a hundred and three hundred million persons out of poverty in one year.
”They did that by investing in education, infrastructure and small-scale businesses,” he said.
Mamedu reiterated their commitment in promoting social justice, gender equality and poverty eradication through partnership with the government and other stakeholders to make an impact in the lives of citizens.
”The contribution of actionaid in ensuring transparency and holding government accountable and ensuring that our resources are adequate and well utilised to benefits the people.
”Our bias is towards those living in poverty and the marginalised,” he said.
According to him, even though the organisation has specific programmes for women, men and boys were also not left out in some of it’s programmes.
”For us to achieve this lofty ideas that we have put in place, we have specific targets for women, children or young persons on unemployment, economy, humanitarian and others,” Mamedu said.
He, therefore, urged the media and other stakeholders to support the organisation to achieve it’s mandates.
”We will be providing some trainings, support for your organisation, proposals specifically targeting media organisations on what we can do towards poverty eradication in Nigeria,” he said.
Also, Mr Shagari Sumner, a senior media practioner representing Arise TV, urged the organisation to factor some challenges affecting media operations, while relating with them.
Sumner also encouraged Actionaid to sustain it’s relationship with the media towards achieving it’s aim for the overall benefits of the citizens.
Various media organisations from the print, television, radio, online and others were represented to strengthen partnership towards eradicating poverty, ensure social justice and gender equality.
