The Katsina Consultative Forum (KCF) has conducted a dialogue in which experts discussed poverty and offered solutions for eradicating it in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the second dialogue organised by the forum had the theme “Strategies for Poverty Eradication in Katsina State.”
Earlier, the KCF Chairman, Alhaji Aminu Abubakar-Danmusa, highlighted some of their activities, including radio interactive sessions and campaigns against drugs and substance abuse.
He added that, among other activities, a town hall meeting for ward and village heads on the dangers of drug abuse among youths was also conducted during the year.
Abubakar-Danmusa said they are now focusing on poverty eradication to make the youths more responsible and contribute positively to society’s development.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Sen. Ibrahim Ida, and Wazirin Katsina called on the stakeholders to acknowledge the level and gravity of poverty in the state.
“Let us accept that it is a complex issue that requires the collective efforts, innovations, and the unwavering commitment of the governed and the government if we are to address it,” he stressed.
Ida said that the dialogue provided a unique opportunity for experts, policymakers and other stakeholders to share knowledge, experiences, and ideas on how to tame poverty.
“We owe it to ourselves, our children, and future generations to act decisively and work collaboratively towards a poverty-free Katsina State.
“We, the citizens, must stand to be counted in the supplementation of the needed resources first by paying our taxes and then by dedicating a portion of what we have towards helping the government to help the same people,” he said.
The Guest Speaker, Mr Hassan Usman, also the former Managing Director of Jaiz Bank, decried that poverty has remained a significant challenge in the state.
He said that pervasive poverty was contributing immensely to societal challenges, including insecurity, illiteracy and drug abuse, among others.
Therefore, Usman urged the state to propose comprehensive strategies for alleviating the menace and engendering economic development.
The strategies, he said, should focus on practical and sustainable development approaches.
They include agriculture transformation, education, skills acquisition development, and the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Usman further called for the state government to increase investment in agriculture and education.
According to him, education reduces inequalities, promotes innovations and helps to achieve economic growth.
He said the curriculum should be reviewed to reflect society’s current needs and enhance teacher quality and infrastructure.
According to him, it should also focus more attention on vocational training of the students to make them self-reliant and reduce unemployment.
Gov Dikko Radda, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Abdullahi Garba-Faskari, said that the government remained open to meaningful contributions to enhance people’s living conditions and develop the state.
Radda, who spoke extensively on the investment in agriculture and education, commended the forum for organising the dialogue to address some of the state’s challenges.
(NAN)