Ebun Francis|
Ahead of her scheduled visit to Nigeria on Wednesday, British Prime Minister, Theresa May, on Tuesday said that Nigeria is home to the highest number of “very poor people” in the world.
The British Prime Minister on the first leg of her tour of Africa who spoke in Cape Town, South Africa, also said Africa is home to a majority of the world’s fragile states, and a quarter of the world’s displaced people.
May equally pointed out that the continent has the highest number of poor people in the world, stating that 87 million Nigerians were living below the poverty line of $1 and 90 cents per day.
She said, “Much of Nigeria is thriving, with many individuals enjoying the fruits of a resurgent economy, yet 87 million Nigerians live below $1 and 90 cents a day, making it home to more very poor people than any other nation in the world.”
According to the Prime Minister, achieving inclusive growth is a challenge across the world, adding that Africa needs to create 50,000 new jobs per day to keep employment rate at its current level till 2035.
May also noted that she wants the UK to become the biggest G-7 investor in Africa by 2022, building around shared prosperity and shared security.
She said, “I am unashamed about the need to ensure that our aid program works for the UK,” May said, adding that a healthy African economy is good news for the UK.
“Today I am committing that our development spending will not only combat extreme poverty, but at the same time tackle global challenges and support our own national interest.”
“It is in the world’s interest to see that those jobs are created, to tackle the causes and symptoms of extremism and instability, to deal with migration flows and to encourage clean growth.”
With agency report