Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has voiced deep concern over Nigeria’s worsening poverty rate, describing it as a grave threat to national stability and human dignity.
In a post on X on Saturday to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Atiku lamented that Nigeria had sadly become one of the countries most severely affected by poverty.
“Poverty is the greatest enemy humanity has ever known. Wherever it takes root—whether in an individual’s life or across society—it gives rise to other afflictions such as disease, ignorance, insecurity, and despair,” he wrote.
Atiku urged the adoption of deliberate, people-centred strategies to tackle poverty, stressing that every Nigerian must play a part in the national effort to end it.
“In Nigeria, we have, regrettably, earned the reputation of being among the nations hardest hit by poverty. That is why my call for deliberate, people-focused measures to eradicate poverty remains firm and unwavering,” he said.
“At both governmental and community levels, we must take the fight against poverty into every home, every community, and every school, so that the ordinary Nigerian becomes part of the solution. When the poor man is hungry, peace cannot thrive,” he added.
The former vice president maintained that true freedom and dignity for every man and woman can only be achieved when poverty is defeated.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 63 per cent of Nigerians—approximately 133 million people—are classified as multidimensionally poor. The bureau identified food insecurity, inadequate education, and poor healthcare as key factors driving this figure.
Similarly, a World Bank report listed Nigeria among 39 countries experiencing worsening poverty and hunger, largely fuelled by conflict, inflation, and economic instability. An International Monetary Fund (IMF) assessment also ranked Nigeria among the world’s poorest nations by GDP per capita.