Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has stressed that the fight against poverty and the drive for national development cannot be left solely to the government, but must involve faith-based organisations, the private sector and individuals.
Speaking in Lagos on Tuesday at the 12th Annual Public Lecture of The Foursquare Gospel Church Nigeria, themed “Poverty Alleviation, Economic Development and Stability of the Nigerian Economy”, Abiodun said the complexity of governance makes it impossible for government alone to bear the full burden of development.
“The burden of governance cannot be shouldered by government alone, and the church has effectively demonstrated this belief through its initiatives,” the governor stated.
He commended Foursquare Gospel Church for going “beyond the pulpit” by establishing schools, hospitals, humanitarian outreaches, and empowerment programmes that had positively impacted many lives.
Highlighting the need for inclusive growth, Abiodun added:
“The problem of poverty requires economic stability which must be anchored on inclusive growth where opportunities are extended to all citizens, especially the vulnerable. Economic development and stability are two sides of the coin. Without stability, the economy is short-lived. Without development, poverty persists.”
Earlier, the General Overseer of Foursquare Gospel Church Nigeria, Rev. Sam Aboyeji, emphasised that no nation could achieve sustainable development without addressing poverty head-on. He described it as one of Nigeria’s greatest challenges that required a collective battle by government, the church, and individuals.
Delivering the lecture, Dr. Doyin Salami, Senior Fellow and Associate Professor at Lagos Business School, warned that Nigeria’s current 3.2 per cent economic growth rate was insufficient for poverty reduction, insisting the country needed at least 6.5 per cent annual growth for a decade to make meaningful progress.
He cautioned against over-reliance on the services sector, noting that Nigeria’s de-industrialisation was undermining long-term growth prospects. Drawing a comparison with China, Salami recalled that Nigeria once outpaced China in poverty indices in 1992, but while China reversed its fortunes by 1996, Nigeria continued to lag behind.
