By Olukayode Idowu
The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jian Chun has said that for Nigeria to achieve the targeted poverty eradication, there must be conscious and systemic investment in education, food, housing, security and others.
The advice came at a time that President Bola Tinubu inaugurated members of his cabinet that are expected to assist him actualise his renewed hope campaign manifesto.
Jianchun, who spoke in Abuja on Monday at the unveiling of the Hausa edition of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s book, ‘Up and Out of Poverty’ said there are many lessons from the book for Nigeria as both countries share so many similarities.
The envoy, while noting that the book was written in 1988 and contain the thoughts of the current president on how to eradicate poverty, revealed that it was the book that the president used in eradicating extreme poverty between 2012 -2022.
He stressed that poverty revolves around two basic needs and three guarantees.
“For the basic needs, we have first, food and secondly, clothing. For the three guarantees, we have compulsory education, basic medical care, and safe housing,” he said.
He advised that: “Nigeria needs to fix the educational sector. The country has a lot of dropouts and we all know that without education, a country cannot move forward.
“Nigeria needs to fix the medical challenges it is facing to eradicate poverty.
“The measures that China took were to boost the economy. The economy is a decisive factor to eliminate poverty. Nigeria needs to rely on its strength, natural resources and create more jobs for its citizens.”
Also speaking at the unveiling of the book, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume said the book launch was apt, given the country’s mass poverty, where 80 million live below the poverty line especially in the Northern part of the country.
Akume, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Special Services Office, SGF, Aliyu Shinkafi, was therefore of the opinion that the Hausa version of the book will help Nigerians benefit from the growth and development of China.
He said: “This launch is timely and shows what both countries share in common.
“The book is translated in one of the three major languages so that our population can benefit from China. It is not by chance that the book was put together in Hausa because Nigeria has a population of 200 million about 80 million live below the poverty line especially in the North West and North East.”
The visiting Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism, Hu Helping noted that: “The world is encountering a lot of challenges especially food insecurity and poverty, adding that: “Today, the launch of this book will help Nigerians understand and learn how China went up and out of poverty.” He said the understanding would go a long way in providing a stronger bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and China
