Charles Onunaiju, Director of the Centre for China Studies, Abuja, has urged Nigeria to shift its poverty reduction strategy from welfare-based interventions to policies focused on capability building and structural reforms that create sustainable economic opportunities.
Onunaiju made the call at a high-level workshop on “Nigeria’s Poverty Alleviation and China’s Development Experience” organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria, DICAN, in Abuja.
The expert said successive Nigerian governments have pledged to tackle poverty, but the problem persists because many interventions focus on “sustaining poor people rather than enabling them to overcome structural constraints.”
“Meaningful poverty reduction should equip people with the capacity to become active wealth creators and contributors to national development,” he said.
Citing economist Amartya Sen’s capability approach, Onunaiju said poverty is fundamentally linked to a lack of opportunities and capabilities needed to achieve a decent standard of living.
Drawing from China’s experience, he noted that Beijing’s 2001 “Outline for Poverty Alleviation and Development in Rural China” emphasized improving quality of life, infrastructure and self-development capabilities of poor populations.
According to him, China’s poverty reduction efforts lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty over four decades and culminated in the eradication of extreme poverty in 2021.
The strategy combined village-wide development projects, infrastructure expansion, social services, education and skills training programmes.
“China’s approach was distinguished by its focus on development rather than direct financial assistance alone. It sought to improve local income-generating capacities and guarantee access to education, healthcare and basic living conditions,” Onunaiju said.
Applying those lessons to Nigeria, he cautioned that social intervention programmes, including cash transfers, may have limited long-term impact unless accompanied by structural reforms that expand economic opportunities and raise productive capacity.
He argued that investments in rural infrastructure, including feeder roads, rural electrification, primary healthcare facilities and water supply systems, could transform local economies by improving connectivity, stimulating trade and allowing communities to leverage their comparative advantages.
“Sustainable poverty reduction requires the transformation of rural economies and the removal of constraints that limit individual and community development,” he said.
Onunaiju added that reducing poverty could also strengthen democratic participation by enabling citizens to make informed political choices and hold leaders accountable.
He concluded that poverty reduction should be treated as a core policy priority rather than a humanitarian gesture, stressing that addressing structural barriers is essential for achieving inclusive development and strengthening democratic governance.