The Vice President of Nigeria,
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has on Saturday disclosed that about 10 northern states
remained the most poorest in the country.
According to Osinbajo, the National Bureau of Statistics
2015 figures show that the poorest 10 states in Nigeria are in the North with
the exception of Ebonyi state.
This was revealed during the Northern Reawakening
Forum organised to rebuild the 19
northern states affected by the insurgency.
He, however, emphasised that the new administration is
committed to repair the damages.
He said: “We
have been working on interventions in the north east due to immediacy of the
crisis in that axis but the problem of diseases and poverty were exacerbated by
the Boko Haram insurgency…..close detailed, analysis and plans on the north
east has been done in collaboration with some development organisations.
“We
have government interventions such as presidential initiative on the north
east, victims support group among others. Now all of the federal government
initiatives are now under the chairmanship
of General TY Danjuma. We hope that streamlining these efforts this way will
help control immediate deliveries of succor to many of the problems currently
in the north east.
“In
19 northern states of Nigeria, human development indices showed they are by far
poorer than other parts of the country. The Northern states occupy 70 per cent
of our land mass, the highest infant mortality rate, the lowest number of
children in school, the highest number of unemployed young people and the
challenge of insecurity and religious crisis including Boko Haram.”
“A nation of 170 million people, the sixth largest producer of oil,
over a 100 variety of solid minerals and precious metals, thousands of arable
land, largest economy in Africa yet desperately poor, over 110 million people
extremely poor. Maternal mortality has taken over 55, 000 people in a year.”
He noted there was urgent need to rehabilitate the
victims and integrate them back to their original homes.
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