Stakeholders call for evidence-based reporting to tackle poverty in Nigeria

Participants at a one-day workshop organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria in Abuja urged journalists to adopt evidence-based reporting to tackle poverty in Nigeria. The workshop, held under the aegis of the association, included stakeholders such as the foreign affairs ministry, academia, diplomats, and traditional rulers. Dunoma Ahmed, permanent secretary in the ministry, described the workshop as apt for addressing poverty challenges. He highlighted persistent poverty, unemployment, and inequalities as key issues requiring bold, collaborative responses. The Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, shared China’s poverty alleviation strategy, including a 1.6 trillion yuan investment in special funds, mobilised financial support, and a nationwide network reaching every poor household. He emphasised that poverty reduction is achievable through scale, speed, and sustainability. A scholar, administrator, and foreign policy expert, Sheriff Ibrahim, suggested Nigeria could emulate China’s framework of sustained economic growth and targeted poverty alleviation. Austin Maho, a teacher at the International Institute of Journalism, Abuja, stressed the importance of contextualising international development models. Charles Onunaiju, director of the Centre for China Studies, urged journalists to highlight gaps in Nigeria’s poverty reduction measures, drawing lessons from China’s experience.