Mofolusade Sonaike: Reach out and touch someone – A call for help (30 Days, 30 Voices)

by Mofolusade Sonaike The simplest acts of Kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer. I got to church a bit late today. One of the girls in my class, Jane* (name changed) said to me, aunty please I need to speak with you after class. Another girl was there... Read More

Account, advice, Church, counselling, education, entrepreneur, father, Love, Mofolusade Sonaike, mother, poverty, relationship, School, story

May 29, 2013

Chukwunonso Nzekwe: My ghetto story (30 Days and 30 Voices)

Tomorrow you see a wealthy man on air helping us fight for our cause for his personal gain, someone who has never been poor or knows what being poor or living in the ghetto is all about. In the community where I was raised, there’s no better way to project or show how my heart... Read More

hooligans, Inequality, MY GHETTO STORY, poverty

April 16, 2013

Heartwrenching images of poverty and violence capture true misery of Mexico, ravaged by drug cartels (LOOK)

It is a place at once thought of for its destitution, crime, and poverty – where a bitter conflict has claimed the lives of more than 35,000 Mexicans. Photographer David Rochkind captures Mexico’s seedy drug trade in a brutally humanistic light in a series of images collected in his book, ‘Heavy Hand, Sunken Spirit.’ His photographs capture... Read More

Drug, images, mexico, poverty, war

March 28, 2013

Opinion: Embracing Islamic banking as a poverty alleviation tool

by Luqman Idris In the West, Islamic Finance and Structured products are two of the most successful financial market innovations of the last 30years for various reasons, the former alleviates poverty in low income nations while the later increases investors Some articles written by leading practitioners in Nigeria criticised Sanusi Lamido for implementing Islamic Finance... Read More

alleviation, Dro Ameh, nigeria, poverty, SLS

March 8, 2013

Seun Hunge: I wish we had Hugo Chavez as president (Y! Superblogger)

To his credit, petrol become cheaper than water, 80 litres at $2, how much is 80litres of fuel here? And we call ourselves one of the largest exporters. The death of Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, elicited different reactions. He died after long drawn battle with cancer. He came into power February 1999 and was President... Read More

cancer, clothing, Food, Fuel, Goodluck Jonathan, Hugo Chavez, poverty, Seun Hunge, shelter, Venezuela, Y! Superblogger

March 7, 2013

Rejoinder: Poverty is a global phenomenon, not a Kwara phenomenon

by Rotimi Ogungbola The world’s arrival at a level where the voice of any human being can be heard is a major achievement of the 21st century; however this development has been accompanied with challenges of misinterpreting details, passing false information, hyperbolic reports based on individual sentiment and emotion to mention a few. These problems have... Read More

global, kwara, phenomenon, poverty, Rotimi Ogungbola, state

March 1, 2013

Opinion: That poverty may become extinct in Nigeria

by Muhammed Abdullahi Tosin Introduction Almost half of the world’s population, comprising over three billion people, is extremely poor, surviving on less than 2.5 dollars a day, according to the Global Issues. UNICEF holds that 22,000 children die each day in some poor remote villages on the planet. Perhaps more dreaded than global warming, AIDS,... Read More

extinct, Muhammed Abdullahi Tosin, nigeria, poverty

March 1, 2013

Zainab Sandah: Educating the Nigerian child: Who’s responsible?

by Zainab Sandah The biggest factor attributable to the failure of both international and local intervention schemes is government at the state level; they – state governors – have not, so far, fulfilled the conditions of the schemes… ‘Zainab, you are wasting your time, I’m sure you’ve seen the statistics.’ My good friend Frank said... Read More

Child's Rights, Davos, economy, education, government, nigeria, NUT, Paul Kagame, poverty, WEF, World Economic Forum, Zainab Sanda

February 27, 2013

“Poverty rate in the North is 3 times of what it is in Lagos” – Bill Clinton, as ThisDay honours 15 teachers

by Isi Esene Former United States president, Bill Clinton has attributed the growing terrorism menace in the country to poverty. Clinton said this yesterday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at the ThisDay Newspapers awards ceremony organised to recognise deserving individuals. The former US president said the challenges facing the country could be surmounted with effective leadership,... Read More

Abeokuta, bill clinton, boko haram, nigeria, Ogun State, olusegun obasanjo, poverty, terrorism, ThisDay Newspapers

February 3, 2013

May Akabogu-Collin writes ‘A Nigerian Spring is long overdue’ for The New York Times

by May Akabogu-Collins That’s where Nigeria is today. It will not change until we, the people, join in a mass outrage against corruption, demand transparent accounting of our oil revenues and economic justice. I was a visiting professor in Paris last fall and it was the first day of class. I was making copies for... Read More

boko haram, corruption, government, Insecurity, May Akabogu-Collins, nigeria, paris, poverty

January 28, 2013

Oby Ezekwesili: The wealth and poverty of a nation – Who will restore the dignity of Nigeria? (Part 2)

Whatever choices you make from today for the purpose of helping build a New Nigeria will most certainly cost you something. Such is the reality of nation rebuilding. The wealth and poverty of a nation – Who will restore the dignity of Nigeria? Being the concluding part of a speech by Dr. Oby Ezekwesiliat the... Read More

economy, nigeria, Nsukka, Oby Ezekwesili, poverty, Speech, University of Nigeria, UNN, wealth

January 27, 2013

Oby Ezekwesili: The wealth and poverty of a nation – Who will restore the dignity of Nigeria? (Part 1)

Resource wealth has tragically reduced your nation- my nation- to a mere parable of prodigality. Nothing undignifies nations and their citizens like self-inflicted failure. The wealth and poverty of a nation – Who will restore the dignity of Nigeria? Being a speech by Dr. Oby Ezekwesiliat the 42nd Convocation Lecture of the University of Nigeria,... Read More

economy, nigeria, Nsukka, Oby Ezekwesili, poverty, Speech, University of Nigeria, UNN, wealth

January 7, 2013

Opinion: The myth of Africa’s rise

by Rick Rowden Rich countries figured out long ago, that if economies are not moving out of dead-end activities that only provide diminishing returns over time (primary agriculture and extractive activities such as mining, logging, and fisheries), and into activities that provide increasing returns over time (manufacturing and services), then you can’t really say they... Read More

africa, East Asian Tigers, poverty, Rick Rowden, the economist, time magazine, world economy

January 6, 2013

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu: Occupy Nigeria: Are we better off today?

by Ebuka Obi-Uchendu We may be under the illusion that 2013 has started on a more proper note. We’ve made our resolutions and Mr. president has promised to surprise us this year. But the truth remains that it is almost impossible to ever make progress without looking at the past. 2012 started off on quite... Read More

#OccupyNigeria, 2012, 2013, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Fuel Price, nigeria, occupy nigeria, poverty, President Goodluck Jonathan, Protests

November 25, 2012

South African president spends $28 million on his palace while receiving $30 million in aid from the UK

by Rachel Ogbu South African president Jacob Zuma has sparked outrage spending £17.5 million to upgrade his rural family home while about 13 million people survive on less than £1 a day, and two million have no access to a toilet. According to reports excessive works to Zuma home in the village of Nkandla – which include the construction... Read More

Brtish aid, corruption, jacob zuma, mansion, poverty, taxpayers

November 24, 2012

Uncle Solo (Part 2), a short story by ‘Seun Salami

by ‘Seun Salami There were many of such bus preachers around town these days, giving the genuine ones a bad name. I tried to imagine Uncle Solo preaching in a bus, but I couldn’t. It just didn’t seem right. READ PART 1: Uncle Solo, a short story by ‘Seun Salami Uncle Solo got outside our... Read More

alcohol, Edwin, Kunle Afolayan, Marijuana, poverty, Religion, Seun Salami, Uncle Solo, Wale Waves, white garment

November 17, 2012

Uncle Solo, a short story by ‘Seun Salami

by ‘Seun Salami People who leave home for work very early in the morning in our area have also become used to picking Uncle Solo up from gutters where he would be sleeping comfortably. Uncle Solo looks nothing like the fifty something years he has spent on earth. He tries very hard to look thirty,... Read More

alcohol, Edwin, Kunle Afolayan, Marijuana, poverty, Religion, Seun Salami, Uncle Solo, Wale Waves, white garment

September 29, 2012

Temie Giwa: Arms and the plan (YNaija Frontpage)

The North is being burnt by unemployed despondent youths. While in the South, young kidnappers and car jackals constantly terrorize all as the Nigerian police spend their time watching movies, eating Titus sardines and asking for bribes while dangerous criminals smoke marijuana in the front of the barracks. Two months ago, I moved my... Read More

car jacking, Insecurity, Kidnapping, poverty, Temie Giwa, youth unemployment

September 26, 2012

Japheth Omojuwa: The girl who could only imagine and a nation tending to more poverty (YNaija Frontpage)

In fact, for every public official whose action and inaction helps to make this reality possibility, their existence though seemingly beautiful and colourful will be as the pain of ignorance when the human knowledge is called up to express itself. I watched a clip yesterday by Mike Steve Adeleye. It was a short animation that... Read More

corruption, education, greed, japheth omojuwa, poverty

September 21, 2012

Opinion: Rural women deserve to be healthy too

by Florence Opeyemi Fasetan Every woman should have access to the quality of maternal healthcare that would provide reasonable assurance of safe childbirth. For Nigeria, the available statistics in this regard paint a horrendous picture. Good health is at the centre of economic development and so we cannot talk about development if we continue to... Read More

Florence Opeyemi Fasetan, poverty, Rural women

June 13, 2012

#ThisShouldConcernYou: 1000 points of light – An annual summit for young change agents scheduled to hold June 16

by Chi Ibe Now in its second year, 1,000 points of light is set to hold June 16, 2012 at the Olive Tree Auditorium, Ikoyi, Lagos. The summit is designed to host at least one thousand young men and women who will become 1,000 points of light to their nation and generation. The summit will... Read More

1000 points of light, poverty, summit, young change agents

May 9, 2012

Report: Niger is the worst place to be a mother, Nigeria ranks 123rd

by Chi Ibe No it’s not Afghanistan; a new study shows that Niger is the worst place in the world to be a mother. This is principally due to hunger, according to an annual report by Save the Children. In contrast, Norway is the best according to the group’s “Best and Worst Places to... Read More

hunger, Niger, poverty