According to the groups, the intervention if done in line with the global best practices would capture the poor and vulnerable and lift them out of poverty.
The CSOs made the call in a communique issued at the end of their meeting on Petrol Subsidy Removal and Palliatives on Tuesday, August 1, and Wednesday, August 2, 2023, in Abuja.
The CSOs are Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre; African Centre for Leadership, Strategy, and Development; Lawyers Alert; Centre for Transparency Advocacy; Equity Advocate; Food Basket International among others.
The organisations expressed deep concerns over the government’s initiatives to urgently cushion the harsh economic and social effects of the subsidy removal policy on the citizens.
“The CSO Leaders noted that social protection policies implementation combined with enlightened leadership and pressure from below can lift people out of poverty. China and India for instance lifted 730 million and 170 million people respectively out of poverty between 1990 and 2015.
“While social protection has been acknowledged across the world as a veritable way to reduce poverty, in line with this, there is a need to update the Nigeria Social Register (NSR) and create awareness on the process of its compilation and the names on the register.”
They also called on the government to promptly initiate the process of raising the national minimum wage
“While lamenting that the current national minimum wage of N30,000 remains highly unsustainable considering the current economic condition, they recommended that a process for increasing the minimum wage should commence immediately at the federal, state, and local levels and by private sector employers as the current minimum wage no longer reflect the new realities.
“They noted that the government’s removal of subsidy pushed up prices of goods and services, like foodstuffs, transportation costs, agricultural implements, and inputs, rent, and other services, yet salaries were not increased, necessitating untold hardship, and suffering amongst the citizens.”
The CSOs also recommended that the current administration adopt a comprehensive development agenda for the country as a piecemeal approach to dealing with recurrent challenges faced by previous administrations would not help in the long run.
Speaking, Funmi Akinyele of Food Basket International faulted the decision by the FG to allow state governments to roll out palliative to the citizens.
She added that the responsibilities should have been given to local governments being the closest tier of government to the citizens.
