YESTERDAY, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, released the result of a survey which it conducted, with the result that no less than 63 percent of Nigerians are poor as at 2022. Using a population figure of 200 million, that is about 126 million of our fellow compatriots statistically determined to be poor.

The NBS survey, contained in a report titled: “The National Multidimensional Poverty Index, MPI, Survey Results for 2022,” also showed that 67.5 percent of children within the ages of 0–17 years are poor. That is interesting, given that the survey is now drawing attention to child poverty, which is a phenomenon that has been staring our politicians in the face ever since I could read and write.

At the launch of the NBS survey report in Abuja, yesterday, President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to eradicating poverty, which was in line with the Sustainable Development Goal, SDG.

His words: “I reaffirm our commitment to the first goal of the SDG, which is eradicating poverty in all its dimensions. This government recognises the importance of the data and the need to deploy it in sharing your story with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, both domestically and internationally. It is my hope that with the report being launched today, every stakeholder will rise to the challenge.

Providing needed political leadership, strategic vision, and creative hard work to move the needle towards eradicating extreme poverty in Nigeria.” This is where I generate issues with our politicians. For a long time, we have been fed rhetoric of this nature on countless occasions. Just words all the time, while the situation continues to worsen, exponentially, if I can say so. In fact, one leader, in the 90s, promised ‘Health for All by Year 2000’, and ‘Housing for All by Year 2000’, among other promises.

The magical year 2000 came and went, by which time the situation in the health and housing sectors had worsened considerably. Twenty two years later, we cannot even begin to talk of challenges in the housing sector, where a deficit of nearly 20 million housing units is said to exist. In the health sector, the situation is best explained by our president, who once spent a record 103 days in London for medicals.

Only recently, he went back and spent another two weeks. Shame.“The question for me is: “After identifying these problems, what concrete, verifiable actions have been taken to solve them? Daily, we hear of humongous figures announced by people, which they claim to have spent on one poverty alleviation initiative or the other. There are no results, and poverty is deepening, and the situation is worsening.

In deed and without words in evidence, the power elite stand accused of deepening poverty by refusing to do what it takes to reduce poverty. Take the strike action of a fortnight ago by commercial drivers in Lagos. Deep down, the strike is a rebellion against deepening poverty in the transportation sector, where politicians looked on and permitted the creation, operation, and perpetuation of one of the most ruthless extortion systems ever devised by man on this planet.

That is why Buhari’s exhortations at the launch of the NBS Poverty Survey should be taken with a pinch of salt, if at all. No action will be taken.“Cleverly, as politicians go about campaigning, there is very little talk about food poverty. Those of the ruling party are not talking about it for obvious reasons, while those of the opposition parties are circling around the issue lest the instruments and agencies of incumbency come against them. But the reality is with all of us.


With a sachet of ‘pure water’ now selling at N20, up from N5 seven years ago, and a bag of rice at nearly N45,000, up from N6,000 seven years ago too, food poverty, or famine if you like, is here. So, what happened to Buhari’s rice revolution? I remember the pyramids showcased several months ago.

What happened? Why should rice cost more than N10,000? Who didn’t do what? What happened to him or her? Remember the amount of money said to have been spent on feeding schoolchildren? During the pandemic lockdown? Or the billions spent training fewer than 500 youths on phone repairs?

Still on the poverty issue, let me warn us that we should expect more rhetoric from our new leaders at the end of this transition. This is because very few people in the civil service and the public service don’t do their work. Many just go to their air-conditioned offices, scratch a few files with their felt-tipped gold pens, attend one or two meetings, and close for the day.

I urge them to emulate their Chinese counterparts. One of the reasons for the success of China’s state-sponsored capitalism beyond its borders is its committed civil service, which tracks funds allocated for foreign enterprise worldwide and ensures beneficiaries remain accountable.

We must change. It is easy to blame our leaders, but the followership is no better. I remain unshaken in my belief that right now, Nigerians do not want a good country that works for all. They, me, and you are only interested in extracting as much as we can from the Nigerian system, building houses here, owning homes abroad, and flaunting our wealth in front of others who can’t see a way to the national exchequer. That must change. If it does not, we are doomed, and poverty will continue to worsen.



https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/11/again-the-national-poverty-conundrum/

Anything possible to make our country better

Poverty is like 70.59% in nigeria, that stat was just booked up by those who will stay in their offices and not go from door to door or community to community.