ActionAid urges stakeholders to end challenges of inequality in society
NAN-AE-7
Inequality
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Jan. 25, 2018 (NAN) ActionAid, an international organisation, on Thursday, called on all stakeholders to put in place measures to end challenges of inequality in the society.
Mrs Funmilayo Oyefusi, Interim Country Director of the group, made this call at a One-Day Dialogue on Inequality in Nigeria in Abuja.
She said that Nigerians cannot wait for government at all levels to change their lives, saying rising inequality is an injustice to the world.
She said inequality was promoted as a result of so much power in the elite, adding that there was the need to say no to greed from a selected few.
She said it was important for Nigeria to join the global audience to see that answers come from the elite, contending that they are part of those expanding inequality.
“The way to tackle inequality is to strengthen the power of you and I, the women, the young people, those living with disabilities, the power to fight inequality lies in our hands.”
Oyefusi said the event was also an opportunity to educate Nigerians toward understanding that everyone has a huge role to play in changing the narratives.
He said the working class and women, better understand the problem and feel the pain, stressing that they must begin to organise themselves to take action to address the challenges and find solutions to inequalities.
Speaking on the recently launched strategy, ‘Social Justice to End Poverty 2018-2023,’ the country director said it was a response to the deepening of inequality of power, wealth, injustice and poverty in Nigeria.
She added that the strategy would guide the organisation’s work in addressing injustice, exclusion, inequality, and its effect on Nigerians.
She, however, called on all citizens to insist on good governance so as to reduce increasing gaps between the rich and the poor.
The interim country director expressed the hope that this would bring about access to economic opportunities, quality of life and improved development.
Mr Babatunde Oluajo, Anti-corruption Advisor, Integrity Organisation, said citizens must begin to see that corruption affects the foundation of the society.
Oluajo maintained that all citizens have a duty to be active toward holding government accountable.
He said that diversion of funds was promoting corruption and underdevelopment, thereby enhancing inequality and widening gap between the rich and the poor.
“Corruption happens every day, people must begin to see that not talking about corruption is a disservice; we must start engaging ourselves on how to move Nigeria forward,” he said.
Mrs Funke Baruwa, Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Women Trust Fund, said gender inequality has its roots from the socialisation process and the pressure from the environment.
Baruwa said that there was the need to change the prioritisation of the boy-child over the girls, contending that this was also one of the factors widening the gaps between men and women.
She stressed the need for reducing gender discrimination by formulating policies and programmes that would promote the rights of women and girls through access to education, other opportunities among others.
“We must stop preparing girls for marriage alone, they must be prepared for becoming leaders, by being ambitious to take positions of authority like the male-child.”
Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, Co-Convener, ‘Say No Campaign,’ an NGO, called for a multi-stakeholder engagement to change the narratives of reducing inequality and social injustice.
He stressed that citizens have a huge task in ensuring that development was inclusive and urged all Nigerians to use their voting power to change things for better.
“We need to begin to work with people who have the capacity to influence, to re-organise and begin to set a narrative that frees the mind to go for things that are noble, to change the society,’’ Nwagwu said.
ActionAid Nigeria is a social justice organisation working to eradicate poverty through gender equality and the redistribution of wealth and power.
According to a recently released report by Oxfam, only one per cent of the world’s richest people hold 99 per cent of the global wealth.
The report stressing the need for national governments to close the inequality gaps by reducing extreme wealth among the rich. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/AFA
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Felix Ajide
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