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Poverty Eradication: Embrace Social Investments, Eliminate Poverty, Akobundu Urges Nigerians

Published

6 years ago

October 17, 2019

Joel Ajayi

Nigerians within and around world has been urged to embrace Social Investment Programmes (SIP) in order to reduce the poverty in the country.

The National Coordinator/Chief Executive Officer, African Union Development Agency- New Partnership for Africa’s Development/African Peer Review Mechanism ( AUDA-NEPAD/APRM) Princess Gloria Akobundu, made this appeal on Friday in Abuja during her goodwill message to mark 2019 edition of the World Day of Eradicating Poverty.

in a statement signed and made available to Newsmen by Abolade Ogundimu, reiterated her agency’s commitment to its mandate which include poverty eradication.

According to the her, poverty is a state of helplessness on basic human needs unfortunately, it has become the lot of many people who are surrounded by those who have in their possession, more than they need for themselves.

“Since 1993, October 17 has been set aside by United Nations (UN) as World Day for Eradication of Poverty and AUDA-NEPAD/APRM),Nigeria joins the world to reflect on how to banish poverty ,not only from our country but the world.

“Out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)of the UN, poverty tops the list of global concerns for more peaceful coexistence since studies have shown that poverty has direct link to insurgencies in Africa and around the world.

“The tendency to consider developing countries as icons of world poverty is always there, but individual nation should remain resolute in her bid to continuously dim the light of economic poverty,” she said.

Even as poverty is still a major concern in the country, Akobundu called for patriotic patronage of various poverty alleviating programmes of Federal Government.

“Successive governments have made efforts to stem poverty in Nigeria but President Muhammadu Buhari-led government has been widening the nation’s escape route from the scourge through various Social Investment Programmes (SIPs).

“Despite other contending areas of urgent attention like infrastructure,security and education, SIPs are still getting adequate attention in terms of funding and monitoring,” she noted.

Akobundu also commended the government for ensuring that Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of the programmes remained impressive.

“It is not by accident that African Union bodies are embracing some of the programmes for adoption as continental strategies.

The programmes include: Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP), Trader Money, N-Power etc.,” she said.

The C.E.O therefore urged Nigerians, especially those working ceaselessly to make decent living and come out of poverty.

“Individual and collective commitments to earn legitimate living and the passion to ensure well being of others remain ageless panacea to eradicate poverty in a nation and the world.

“Although it is good to be contented in life but nobody should be complacent in state of poverty because it hurts not only the person but the entire society.

” In every human community, you have people of different gender, age, status, ability and deficiency but commitment to exist in a particular class or the other varies in them.

“I subscribe to the school of thought that says ‘man’s poverty status emanates from the mind, he has the choice to live with it or refuse to be held down by poverty’ because positive thoughts will definitely present multiple solutions to greatness,” she said.

Akobundu added that, as people within the poverty line in the country were striving to come out, they should also look out for Social Investment Programmes (S.I.P) that suited their ability or aspiration, then follow through.

“It’s high time people started trusting in government programmes especially SIPs so that the impact can be far reaching for the nation.

As a nation, let us religiously eschew poverty by making efforts to solve societal problems, be innovative, enterprising and receptive to positive changes,” she said.

While commending individual and corporate bodies that had been doing so much to eliminate poverty in the country, she appealed to others who had the means to consider such noble venture as part of their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR).

“As an agency established to facilitate and monitor developments in every sphere of national life, AUDA-NEPAD/APRM (Nigeria) is more resolved to bridge Collaboration between Foreign Direct Investors ,FDIs (and their domestic counterparts) in SIPs and all tiers of government.

“That will greatly help to roll back poverty in the country and the world,” she said.

The agency which has its replica in other African Union member states has been championing advocacy and sensitisation on socio- economic and democratic development in the country, through Collaboration with relevant agencies.

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Daughters of Dr. Charles Ononiwu, Chiamanda and Chiamaka, Launch Debut Books to Uplift Hearts Facing Life’s Struggles

Published

4 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

At just 18 and 20 years old, Chiamanda and Chiamaka Ononiwu — daughters of renowned Nigerian surgeon Dr. Charles Ononiwu — have achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of their debut inspirational books, Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls.

Their literary journey began six years ago, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was engulfed in fear and uncertainty, the then 13- and 15-year-old sisters turned inward, using writing as an outlet to process their emotions, express their faith, and reach out to others with messages of hope and resilience.

What began as a quiet act of creativity blossomed into two powerful books that now serve as beacons of light for readers navigating life’s storms.

Eighteen-year-old Chiamanda Ononiwu is the author of Do Not Be Afraid. A passionate Electrical Engineering student , she is also a proud alumna of Intellichild TLC and Valedictorian of Great Blessings School, Class of 2022.

In her book, she addresses the emotional challenges many young people face and draws from her personal faith to offer guidance and encouragement.

Her elder sister, Chiamaka Ononiwu, 20, is a final-year medical student at Babcock University in Nigeria. She penned Waterfalls, a heartfelt and deeply spiritual work she describes as divinely inspired. Chiamaka views her writing as a calling — a mission to uplift souls and bring hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.

“Personally, I would say it all started with the idea of inclusion, inspired by real human experiences,” Chiamaka shared. “We’ve had conversations with people who’ve gone through difficult situations — including issues and those stories helped shape what I write today.”

She added, “It’s all about encouraging people to face life with faith. We began this journey during a dark time in the world, and I felt called to create something that could offer comfort and hope — not just locally, but globally.”

The official book launch and signing ceremony took place on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and was attended by family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. It was a celebration of creativity, faith, and youthful brilliance, as the sisters presented their work to an inspired audience.

Speaking at the event, Chiamaka emphasized the core message of her book: “Waterfalls reminds readers that God is always watching over His people. He doesn’t bring fear — He brings peace, hope, and love. I want readers to find comfort and assurance in that truth.”

For Chiamanda, her book is a message to young people who may feel overwhelmed by life’s pressures: “Do Not Be Afraid is especially for youth navigating difficult times. No matter how hard life gets, you can always find strength and direction in God’s word.”

Writing came naturally to both sisters. Chiamaka recalled, “Even as a child, I loved writing short stories for my siblings. When the opportunity came to publish, I knew it was time to share my message with a wider audience.”

Despite their demanding academic paths, both young women balanced their studies with writing through perseverance and faith.

Chiamanda and Chiamaka are united by a shared dream — to inspire people across the world with their writing.

Chiamaka expressed Further; “Our biggest hope is that these books will reach people who need to know that God is real, that He’s always with them, and that through Him, anything is possible,” Chiamaka said.

With Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls, the Ononiwu sisters have not only created literary works — they’ve created lifelines. Their voices, grounded in faith and driven by purpose, remind readers everywhere that even in the darkest moments, God’s light never fades.

Their father, Dr. Charles Ononiwu — a distinguished surgeon and deeply devoted parent — also spoke at the event, sharing the journey from his perspective.

“For me, my number one priority has always been to care for children — not just medically, but also by encouraging them academically and in the basics of life,” he said.

He recounted a moving moment with Chiamanda, who approached him with the idea of sharing her story publicly to inspire others.

“She came to me and said she wanted to talk to her peers, to share how she had been comforted, and to help them see that everything would be okay,” he recalled. “As a father, my role was to guide her. I support both of them, help activate their strengths, and provide direction.”

Dr. Ononiwu made the decision to fund the publication of their books himself, believing in the power of their message.

“I told them, ‘You have something the world needs. You can make an impact in the lives of others,’” he said. “I believe every child has a gift. It is our responsibility as parents not to dismiss them, but to help them discover and nurture their talents.”

He encouraged all parents to support their children’s creative pursuits, noting, “Every person has something special inside them — no one is without talent. It’s just a matter of looking inward, discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world.”

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