The International Women’s Day celebration in Nigeria on 9 March turned out an occasion to celebrate the many accomplishments of women since the inception of the Obasanjo Administration in 1999.

Whereas their counterparts elsewhere were marching through the streets on the day demanding better recognition women in Nigeria took time to count their blessing.
Since the coming of the administration, many more women have been appointed into prominent positions in the cabinet and administration with many of them winning accolades for superlative performance.

At commemorative event for the day at the Abuja Transcorp Hilton, President Olusegun Obasanjo pledged to appoint even more women into positions of high responsibility due ‘to their ability to deliver, transform’ and often times perform their duties with ‘transparency and accountability’.

The Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, read the President’s speech.

On the theme of this year’s celebration, which is “Women in Decision Making”, the President said it provided him a forum to rightly accord Nigerian women an excellent performance rating especially who have been appointed by this administration into various positions.

The president said, to strategically respond to the advancement of women under gender equality, development and peace, his government is geared towards improving the standards of women especially in the areas of balancing the perceived gender inequality “through appointment of women into those portfolios that were in the past seen as men’s exclusive schedules’’.

While stating that currently eight of his cabinet ministers are women out of which two are heading finance ministry, another two in charge of education and solid minerals sectors, he also said, women are heading the Bureau of Public Enterprises and NAFDAC.

In the political arena he said, his administration promotes the participation of women in policy and decision making process citing example that out of 50 presidential delegations for the National Political Reform Conference held last year, 20 was allotted to women so as to give them voice in the affairs of their country.

President Obasanjo said in further recognition of the plight of African women and particularly the Nigerian women, the movement has approved the appointment of six women zonal coordinators to increase their political participation in the 2007 elections.


The president said that currently an Executive Bill with regard to the convention against all forms of discriminations against women is before the National Assembly, and called on the Assembly to ensure the speedy passage of the bill submitted to it last year.

He reminded women across the country that they have the right to live in dignity, in freedom from want and freedom from fear, assuring them that his administration will continue to promote policies that will enhance their advancement of women.

“Over the decades from 1985 till date we have seen tangible progress on many fronts, for instance, there is a growing recognition that gender equality is a prerequisite for eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable development as stated in the Millennium Declaration,’’ he stated.

At an out set to state that, the increase of financial support will give direct impact on the poverty reduction of the people. Even the poverty cannot be measured by mere financial terms alone, but it is comprehensive and integrated in nature.Dimension of poverty and context of poverty very vast and comprehensive one, it needs to understand various components of the poverty. It is a prevailing for the with mankind, the issues spread across the world. The poverty always depends of social dimension, economic deprivations, cultural barriers, environmental effects, natural calamities so on. So it varies from location to location, region-to-region, country-to-country.The statement reveals that increase the financial support could be one of the solutions for reduction of poverty, but it never is an ultimate solution for the reduction or removal of poverty. It would substantiate with social-economic, cultural and environmental aspect. Any intervention on poverty reduction or removal need to be integrated approach and interventions, it does include financial, capacity building, skill development and social capital enhancement so on, some time should go together hand in hand.The concept of poverty must be understood and why in general is stricken with poverty. The issue whether poverty can be eradicated? Poverty could be defined as lack of shelter, hunger, inability to go to school and not knowing ho to basic numeric and literacy skill. No proper clothing, being ill health and unable access services and care, and lack opportunity for primary education.Let us understand the present situation in this part of region. Start with proverb “don’t give them fish, but teach them how to fish”. In a contrary, is true in the case of people are ready reached the river to fish. Where as man people are unable to reach the river due to the social barriers, social control, hurdles etc. The effort is require making the people reach to the river with out any biases, hurdle, and controls. They must feel free to work on their on. The any intervention in this aspect should act and catalyst or a facilitator for removal of socio-cultural and political hurdles among the poor rather than the financial direct support.When discus about the term” poor”, it also important to look at the different angle of poverty. In any community, country as whole once can see the two type of poor people. One is enterprising poor and non-enterprising poor on the other hand. Enterprising poor is a poor who is motivated to come out of poverty trap, he struggle or strives to come out of the poverty on its own way by seeking support of external agency, government schemes so on. Any support and interventions with enterprising poor will be utilized and would see a substantial results and the impact over a period of time in the life. Non-enterprising poor is not motivated, he is frustrated and lost hope in the life and satisfy with what he is. He has no vision in the life due to lack of exposure and cultural barriers. The support provide to non-enterprising poor will not fetch any result.The intervention is required to make the people independent. Independently to think, act and manage their own needs social - economic and guaranteed for livelihood opportunities. Its all-important that increase the skill, knowledge and attitudinal behavioral changes among the people. Therefore the poverty reduction approach is requiring to multi dimensional and comprehensive approach. Here are discussed few of the interventions.1. Knowledge, awareness and skill enhancement: Skill and competence of people are needed to be enhances. Due to people have lack of access for education and life skill practices to improve the better living conditions are needed to be addressed. This approach will not yield immediate result, but slow progressive and impact will get later stages, even-direct impact cannot be seen unless those are put into practices. Effort towards this increase of the knowledge and various skill enhancement process in long term and much emphasized activities would result the improve the standard of living of the people.2. Information on health, education, and various livelihood opportunities and options are to be provided in right time and right people.3. Intervention capital formation process is very essential components for improve the economic development and ensure economic security of the poor people. Access for micro credit facility to fulfill the basic consumption needs and followed with income generation activities/micro enterprises to augmentation of income of the family is necessary.4. Ensure social capital could be other important option of intervention.5. Institutional building of the poor for enhances the livelihood opportunities and overall development of poor. It has been proved in many countries. Self Help Groups for micro credit ant enterprises needs of the poor.6. Confidence building and enhance social esteem in the society, where the people are recognized as important and productive mankind in the society. That the society realizes the full potentials of man.7. Institutional policy support, the state and country need to provide policy support where poor will get space to advocate their voice and choices are considered. The subsidy, poverty alleviation schemes given in fovour of them.The integrated approach and inter sectorial coordination essential are essential in these effort. Of all intervention would need long to period to see and impact and continuously provided. Of course the financial aid is essential component for all the above issues and strategies are put in practice. Increase the financial aid will be affecting to increase the strategic interventions and formulate the projects for the poor to bring them above the poverty line.I feel more and more country, intellectual people, and policy frame should come forward to make the poverty history, not only more and more financial support but moral and intellectual, ethical supports are more important. Let all work for it……, be a part of it.

Many of us would wish to help Humanity, but we are perplexed and our power seems limited. We are gripped with despair, and those of us who have the strongest passion suffer the most from the sense of impotence, and are most liable to spiritual ruin through lack of hope.So long as we think only of the immediate future, it seems that what we can do is not much. It is probably impossible for us to bring the war on poverty to an end. We must recognise that the world is ruled in a wrong spirit and that a change of spirit will not come from one day to the next. Our expectations must not be for tomorrow but for the time when what is thought now by a few shall have become the common thought of many. If we have courage and patience we can think the thoughts and feel the hopes by which sooner or later men will be inspired and weariness and discouragement will be turned into energy and passion. For this reason, the first thing we have to do is to be clear in our own minds as to the kind of life we think good and the kind of changes that we desire in the world. - Bertrand Russell

Debt Cancellation is the amount of Debt that has to be taken out from the country so that the country can divert its resources to some meaningful projects. Financial Aide is also the powerful solution to eradicate the poverty as it assists to cover up the deficiency of some meaningful resources.Countries with heavy debt burden can not be able to meet their financial obligation towards the development of the country because of the deficiency of resources. Financial Aide will provide a support to those countries that lack resources for the development of the country. Effective and Efficient Planning will provide the way to utilize the resources in effective and efficient manner towards the development of the country. Poverty is the result of scarce resources as the demand of the resources increases and its supply becomes limited. In order to increase the supply we must have to increase the available resources.


Eradication of Poverty by Debt Cancellation and Financial AideFinancial aid is required to fill the gap between the available resources and resources required.Due to Debt, the country can’t be able to utilize its resources completely. The government can`t be able to utilize it’s full resources and as a result the country can come into financial and economical crises.Problem of POVERTY arises when the country is in short of resources for the development. The greater percent of peoples are lacking from the basic needs of life. Literacy rate comes down because people force their great struggle to get the basic needs of life. Skilled manpower will be lacking in the market. Poverty is basically the indicator where the hampering of economy of the country starts.As per subject mentioned that financial aide and debt cancellation can eradicate the poverty so, Financial Aide and debt cancellation are utilized to kick the country to drive and increase it’s resources so that Poverty can be curbed and reduced.The most important thing is that the Financial Aide and Debt Cancellation can help the country to at least give a initial start to reduced its Poverty Level BUT The resources should be utilized effectively and efficiently so that the objective of minimizing poverty can be worked out. The resources should not be misused or lost due to some reasons. There should be proper control and planning for the utilization of resources in an efficient manner.Efficient Utilization of Resources
Funds should be utilized for the enterprise development.
Funds should be invested for educational projects so that literacy rate can be improved.
Funds should be utilized for the infra structural development. CONCLUSION:Debt Cancellation and Financial aide can reduce the poverty level but there must be effective and efficient utilization of funds.

One Important thing I want to clear. I don’t differentiate people by their religion, race and status. I love to work with people of every country, culture, race, religion and status

Mandela, former South African president and former prisoner of that country's apartheid government, called for trade justice, an end to rising debts for the poorest countries, and more and higher-quality aid.


"Where poverty exists, there is not true freedom," said Mandela, who wore a white strip of cloth around his wrist. "The world is hungry for action, not words. I am proud to wear the symbol of this global cause to action."


Walking with a stick and wrapped in a black coat and brown fur hat, Mandela made an impassioned speech in front of South Africa House, for decades a symbol of apartheid.


"Massive poverty and obscene inequality are such terrible scourges of our times ... that they have to rank alongside slavery and apartheid as social evils.


"In this new century, millions of people in the world's poorest countries remain imprisoned, enslaved and in chains," he said. "They are trapped in the prison of poverty. It is time to set them free."


Britain holds the presidency of the Group of Eight nations this year, and G8 leaders have promised to focus on the issue of poverty when they meet in Scotland in July.


Mandela called on the world's leaders to honor their commitments to the world's people.

Information & communication technology nowadays has improved in such a way that this enormous world has become a global village. It has made business, the economy and democracy, among others, to be competitive by easy access through the Internet."