Obi Blames Rising Poverty in Nigeria on Government’s Misplaced Priorities

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called for a major redirection of Nigeria’s development priorities, urging governments at all levels to urgently focus on health, education, and poverty reduction.

Obi made the appeal in a statement shared via his official X handle on Tuesday, warning that the country’s deepening poverty crisis is the result of “years of misplaced priorities and lack of investment in human capital.”

He cited recent World Bank data revealing that poverty among rural Nigerians has surged to over 75% as of April 2025. Alarmingly, the report also shows that 41.3% of Nigeria’s urban population is now living below the poverty line.

Obi emphasized that no nation can develop meaningfully without robust investments in basic sectors like education and healthcare. “We must refocus on areas that directly impact human development,” he said. “Our future depends on it.”

His remarks come at a time when economic pressures, inflation, and unemployment continue to affect millions of Nigerians, especially in underserved and rural communities.

“In Nigeria today, the situation we find ourselves in calls for urgent and deliberate action,” he said. “It is time for all levels of government to prioritise critical areas of development—particularly investment in health, education, and poverty alleviation.”

“This shows that poverty is no longer just a rural crisis—it has become a national emergency,” he stated.

According to the former governor of Anambra State, the current levels of poverty are significantly worse than in previous years.

“In comparison, the World Bank reported that in 2018/2019, about 30.9 per cent of Nigerians lived below the international extreme poverty line. As of 2025, that figure has more than doubled instead of improving,” he added.

He blamed the deterioration on what he described as misplaced government priorities over the years.

“These facts confirm that poverty in Nigeria has worsened significantly—and this is no coincidence,” he said. “It is the direct result of years of misplaced priorities. Rather than investing in critical sectors, we have continued to prioritise wasteful spending on non-developmental projects such as conference centres, government houses and lodges, guest houses, and fleets of official vehicles.”

He emphasised the need to shift attention to human capital development as the basis for national transformation.

“We must reassess what truly matters. The decisions we make, what we build, fund, and focus on must align with the pressing needs of the people,” he said.

He added that Nigeria’s path to development depends on expanding access to quality education and healthcare and in supporting job creation through Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.

“Nigeria must expand access to quality education and healthcare and support job creation by investing in and empowering Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, which are essential for lifting people out of poverty,” Obi stated.