Date: 2017-01-29

A cross section of academics have faulted the Federal Government's poverty alleviation programmes.

The academics, who spoke on Saturday, during the Mohammed Mustapha-Givit charity outreach at Nana Aishat Academy, Sobi Road, Akerebiata in Ilorin, Kwara State, said government, past and present, had failed to effectively curb poverty in Nigeria, despite repeated promises.

The Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin, Dr. Kayode Adam, and a Professor of Law with the University of Ilorin, Mohammed Akanbi, said in spite of the various poverty alleviation programmes of previous administrations, there is still mass poverty in the country.

They stated that though former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar'adua and Goodluck Jonathan promised to reduce poverty through various programmes, there was greater hardship in the country.

The first female professor of Quantity Surveying in Africa, Prof. Olubola Babalola, who was also at the event, stated that though the programmes of the past administrations were well initiated, their implementation was ineffective.

She said, "Buhari's administration should look inward. Let us go to the grass roots and really identify the poor people. Let us interact with them and know their problems and how we can assist them.

"It is not by giving them stipends. They need to be gainfully employed. I am not talking about white-collar jobs but jobs that they can do." The dons urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that his poverty alleviation and social security programmes benefit the masses.