By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
The National Social Protection Forum (NSPF), has called on the Federal Government to immediately commence the provision of an effective mass transit system and alternative transport means (rail and air) for commuting people and farm produce from one location to another in rural and urban areas.
The forum stated that it is meant to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal that Nigerians are presently suffering from.
A statement signed by the National Coordinator of the Coalition, Dr Taiwo Benson in Kaduna yesterday, also called for the review of the national minimum wage to maintain purchasing power and ensure a sizeable proportion of disposable income is accessible to Nigerians.
According to Benson, there must be move to implement measures in the short term to earn the National Cash Transfer (NCT) programme to cushion the impact of the subsidy removal on the poor.
The coalition stressed the need for government to convene a national dialogue with various stakeholders to brainstorm on how to resuscitate existing refineries and create conditions for robust private sector investment in building new ones to increase competition and reduce cost.
He further explained, “Move quickly to ensure that adequate and effective power supply is provided
to enhance the productivity of small and medium scale businesses (SMSBs)
(i.e. informal sector) which happens to be the largest employer of labour in the country.”
He also stressed the need to operationalize the National Health Authority Law (NHAL) to reduce out-of-pocket health expenditure that has been identified as a key driver of poverty and vulnerability, particularly for those already near the poverty line and below.
Dr. Benson explained that the National Social Protection Forum (NSPF) is a coalition of Civil Society Organizations and Partners in Nigeria with a membership of over 140 organizations.
According to him, the forum advocates for the expansion of social protection in all the states and the FCT with support from development partners. Its membership also includes various media outlets.
He noted that whilst the Coalition acknowledges the economic rationale advanced the removal of subsidy, they are concerned about impact that the removal will have on the masses, especially the extremely poor and vulnerable who now constitute over 133 million of the over 200 million population (NBS 2022).
The forum emphatically noted that the government should not have embarked on the hasty removal of the fuel subsidy without undertaking widespread consultation with relevant stakeholders, not putting in place the necessary safety nets or palliative measures that would cushion the poor from the impact of this change and further the plunging of more Nigerians into extreme poverty.
“We note with dissatisfaction the
manner and approach that was taken in removing the subsidy,” the statement added.
