Shettima: FG reforms to lift 50m Nigerians from poverty – ITREALMS

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The Vice President, Kashim Shettima has declared that ongoing Federal Government reforms could lift up to 50 million Nigerians out of multidimensional poverty within the next decade, reports ITREALMS.

Speaking at the Nextier Development Solutions Festival (DevFest2025) in Abuja, and represented by Sadiq Wanka, Special Adviser to the President on Power Infrastructure, Shettima unveiled the government’s new “Poverty Exit Plan.”


The plan rests on three pillars: investing in infrastructure, driving economic and financial inclusion, and transforming agriculture from subsistence to mechanised, value-added production.

Shettima cited rising foreign reserves of $42bn, six months of declining inflation, naira stabilisation, and a ₦10 trillion trade surplus as early signs of progress.


He also said that over ₦330bn has already been disbursed to 8.1 million households via cash transfers, while NELFUND has provided ₦80bn in student loans.

EU Ambassador Gautier Mignot stressed that poverty reduction must be driven by strong local leadership, even as the EU committed more than €200m in support.


Civil society leaders, including Nextier’s Dr. Ndubuisi Nwokolo, called for sustainable, evidence-based solutions beyond token interventions.

With over 82 million Nigerians still below the poverty line, stakeholders at DevFest2025 agreed that consistent reforms, local innovations, and global partnerships remain key to ending poverty in Nigeria.


Uboshe Uboshe/Editor