Kukah urges Nasarawa to tackle 60.7% poverty rate

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, has urged the Nasarawa State Government to intensify efforts to reduce poverty and ensure that development opportunities reach communities across the state.

Kukah made the call on Wednesday in Lafia while delivering a lecture titled: “Managing Diversity: Three Decades of Building a Cohesive Nasarawa State: Issues, Challenges and Prospects,” as part of activities marking the 30th anniversary of the creation of Nasarawa State.

The cleric identified poverty, unequal access to opportunities and exclusion as major threats to social cohesion, stressing that citizens would only develop a strong sense of belonging when government policies produced tangible benefits in their communities.

He cited the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index, which placed Nasarawa’s multidimensional poverty rate at 60.7 per cent.

“In simple terms, three out of every five people were multidimensionally poor. That is a sobering measure of the work that remains in spreading opportunity across our communities,” he said.

Kukah said government should make education a major tool for breaking the cycle of poverty, proposing greater investment in scholarships for indigent students across the state.

He recalled an initiative that he considered with the Emir of Keffi during his tenure as Pro-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, under which local governments would allocate between one and two per cent of their annual budgets to scholarships for indigent students.

“We could not achieve this before our tenure ended but it is worth considering,” he said.

Beyond education, Kukah urged the state to exploit its geographical and economic advantages, particularly its proximity to Abuja and its strategic location along major routes linking the Federal Capital Territory with other parts of the country.

He identified Keffi and Akwanga as towns that could be deliberately developed into major commercial and transportation hubs.

“A deliberate policy of making both Akwanga and Keffi strategic towns can be a great boost to transform Nasarawa State into a gigantic commercial centre from where you can go in any direction across the entire country,” he said.

The bishop also called for investment in agriculture, solid minerals, tourism, real estate and transportation, while encouraging stronger partnerships between Nasarawa, the federal government, neighbouring states and international investors.

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He particularly highlighted the state’s tourism assets, including Farin Ruwa Waterfalls in Wamba, Hunki Oxbow Lake in Awe, Peperuwa Lake, Doma and other lakes and rivers.

Kukah further advocated improved rail connectivity between Keffi and Abuja, saying stronger transportation links with the Federal Capital Territory could generate significant economic benefits for Nasarawa.

He said infrastructure development should also be viewed as an instrument for promoting unity among the state’s diverse communities.

“Sports are a great source of unity for our people. Infrastructure unites our people,” he said.

Kukah, who described Nasarawa as a “miniature Nigeria” because of its more than 30 ethnic groups, warned against concentrating government projects and opportunities along ethnic or religious lines.

“Do not focus on projects that feed the egos of your people based on tribe or religion. You will only further divide and alienate your people and lead them to jealousy,” he said.

According to him, diversity should be treated as an economic and social asset rather than a source of division.

“Inclusion becomes real when opportunity can be seen and touched. A child in Wamba, Doma or Awe will understand belonging more clearly through a scholarship, a good road or a functioning school than through any speech about unity,” he said.

The bishop said Nigeria’s constitutional provisions on national integration, non-discrimination, federal character and citizens’ welfare provided a framework for inclusion, but urged political leaders to translate those principles into practical outcomes.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s development challenges, Kukah used the Greek myth of Sisyphus to illustrate what he described as the country’s repeated cycle of progress and setbacks.

He said the inability to manage the country’s diversity effectively had contributed to persistent conflict, frustration and underdevelopment.

“At thirty, Nasarawa has moved beyond infancy. The next thirty years will be judged by how widely opportunity is spread, how deeply citizens feel they belong and how well our differences are turned into strength,” he said.