Nigeria Faces Poverty Crisis as Peter Obi Calls for Urgent Action
posted 7th May 2025
Nigeria Faces Poverty Crisis as Peter Obi Calls for Urgent Action
7 May 2025 – Peter Obi, former Nigerian presidential candidate, has issued a clarion call for urgent and deliberate action to address Nigeria’s escalating poverty crisis, criticising misplaced government priorities and urging investment in health, education, and poverty alleviation.
In a statement released today, Obi highlighted the dire economic situation, citing a recent World Bank report that paints a grim picture of Nigeria’s poverty landscape. As of April 2025, over 75% of rural Nigerians live below the poverty line, while 41.3% of the urban population faces similar hardship. This marks a sharp deterioration from 2018/2019, when 30.9% of Nigerians lived below the international extreme poverty line—a figure that has more than doubled in just six years.
“This is no coincidence,” Obi declared, attributing the crisis to “years of misplaced priorities.” He lambasted successive governments for funnelling funds into non-developmental projects such as conference centres, government lodges, and fleets of official vehicles, while neglecting human capital development. “The decisions we make—what we build, fund, and focus on—must align with the pressing needs of the people,” he stressed.
Obi urged all levels of government to redirect resources towards critical sectors, specifically calling for expanded access to quality education and healthcare, as well as support for job creation through Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). He argued that such investments are the “true legacy projects” capable of transforming the nation and lifting millions out of poverty.
The World Bank’s findings underscore the urgency of Obi’s message, revealing that poverty is no longer confined to rural areas but has become a national emergency. With urban poverty rates surging, the economic hardship is now a pervasive challenge across Nigeria’s diverse regions.
Obi concluded with a hopeful vision, asserting, “A new Nigeria is POssible.” His statement has sparked renewed debate about the country’s developmental priorities, as citizens and policymakers grapple with the deepening crisis.
As Nigeria navigates this pivotal moment, Obi’s call for a strategic pivot towards people-centric policies may shape the national discourse ahead of future elections.
