Source: Inequality in Nigeria: Exploring the Drivers. Oxfam International 2017
A new report by The World Poverty Clock shows Nigeria has overtaken India as the country with the most extreme poor people in the world. India has a population seven times larger than Nigeria’s. The struggle to lift more citizens out of extreme poverty is an indictment on successive Nigerian governments which have mismanaged the country’s vast oil riches through incompetence and corruption. (Kazeem 2018, Quartz Africa).
EEP Beneficiary Aisha and her children. Copyright EWEI 2016.
According to the Kaduna State Sustainable Development Goals 2017 Report, despite its rich culture and history, Kaduna State remains economically poor.
While the fortunes of individual industries have ebbed and flowed, the state has always suffered from widespread poverty, particularly in rural areas. While labour is abundant, the other key inputs to development – human capital, material capital and technology – are all in extremely short supply, preventing the private sector from expanding and the economy from developing new capabilities. The result is that up to 84.9% of residents earn less than the international poverty line of $1.90 per day (using PPP conversion to 2011 exchange rates and inflation adjustment) when measuring their reported sources of income (KDGHS 2017).
Poverty in Kaduna is experienced most frequently by women, the young, the unemployed and those living in rural areas, as Table 1.1.1 beside disaggregating the 2017 General Household Survey data, indicates.
Economic Empowerment Partnerships (EEP) was born out of a need to address the appalling levels of poverty in northern Nigeria. EEP is sustainable development in action. This project provides training and economic empowerment partnerships targeted at low income or out of school, girls and women through capacity building and sourcing micro- credit facilities to setup viable small and medium enterprises EEP is a practical response to SDG 1, 5, 8, 9 and 17. and has benefitted sixty-three women from 2008 – 2017.
EEP Seminar on income generating skills.
EEP is being supported by EWEI’s Educate Equip and Empower crowdfunding project on GlobalGiving. Please visit the page to donate to this important project. EEP has also been supported by “A Night for Nigeria” organised by Taqua and Friends in November 2016. EEP beneficiaries are empowered through capacity building and micro credit facilities to setup or build upon existing economically viable businesses or projects.
In September 2018, four women will benefit from loans and value in kind equipment support to start new business or boost existing businesses. They will also receive capacity building in financial literacy such as book keeping skills, balancing of accounts, having a business plan and managing a micro business.
EEP Beneficiary Stella and her children. Copyright EWEI 2016.
“Investing in gender equality has been lauded by many as ‘smart economics’ that not only increases gross domestic product (GDP), but also contributes to building an enabling environment for business and sustainable development. Therefore, investing in SDG 5 on gender equality will facilitate the implementation of all the SDGs in Nigeria, which will also advance business and economic goals in Nigeria”
Ms. Comfort Lamptey, UN Women’s Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, January 2018
EWEI has also partnered with organizations to donate and provide assistant to communities in need. In June 2016, a joint charity campaign was carried out by the UNILEVER Relief Team and EWEI. The team distributed various UNIVELER products to the Destitute Home, Kano Road, Kaduna State Rehabilitation Center Kakuri, and Hayin Danbushiya Community.
EEP in 2018
In April 2018, EWEI held an EEP Empowerment Seminar on income generating skills in Ungwar Romi Community Kaduna where 27 beneficiaries learned how to make beverages and household toiletries. And in August, EWEI hosted an Empowerment Seminar with financial expert Mrs. Chidinma Tite to build financial and business management skills of the beneficiaries. Read about the seminar here. Both activities were supported by contributions to EWEI’s Educate, Equip and Empower Project hosted on the crowdfunding platform, GlobalGiving.
And in October 2018, with the support of IntiRaymi Fund, 4 new beneficiaries received zero-interest loans to boost/start off new small and medium scale businesses.
