society
139M Poor, Yet Counting “Progress”: Nigeria’s Poverty Crisis Demands More Than Policy
139M Poor, Yet Counting “Progress”: Nigeria’s Poverty Crisis Demands More Than Policy
BY BLAISE UDUNZE
The latest World Bank Nigeria Development Update delivers a chilling verdict, as 139 million Nigerians, over half of the nation’s population, are said to be living in poverty. The report, titled “From Policy to People: Bringing the Reform Gains Home,” praises Nigeria’s bold macroeconomic reforms but warns that the gains have yet to trickle down to the people.
Poverty in Nigeria is not just growing; it’s metastasizing. The World Bank’s 139 million estimate translates to roughly six in ten Nigerians living below the poverty line.
The numbers are stark. The implications are severe. And the solutions will require more than incremental policy tweaks. What the nation is witnessing is an emergency, one that demands bold leadership, systemic change, and national resolve.
Despite measurable progress on paper indicating improved revenue inflows, a more stable foreign exchange market, and the easing of inflationary pressures, the truth in the streets tells a very different story. Nigeria today sits at a troubling crossroads where official statistics clash with the bitter truth of daily survival. Each month, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) releases inflation figures suggesting a country “stabilising.” Yet in the kitchens of Lagos, in the weary sighs of market women, and in the hollowed eyes of hungry children, a harsher reality unfolds, which is that empty pots don’t lie. Hunger, not percentages, is Nigeria’s truest inflation index.
When the new administration came in 2023, it promised sweeping reforms to “reset” the economy. Subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, and fiscal discipline were its first acts, as these policies were hailed internationally for courage and long-term vision. But domestically, they unleashed an economic storm that continues to batter households. A bag of rice that sold for N35,000 two years ago now costs between N70,000 and N90,000. A crate of eggs has jumped from N1,200 to N6,200. Tomatoes, garri, and pepper, which are staples of everyday life, have drifted beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.
Yet, the NBS insists food inflation dropped to 21.87 percent in August 2025, down from 37.52 percent a year earlier, attributing the decline to a rebased Consumer Price Index. This statistical adjustment may appear elegant on paper, but for millions who now spend 70 to 80 percent of their income on food, such figures are not just implausible; they’re insulting. Nigeria may have changed its base year, but it hasn’t changed the harsh arithmetic of survival.
Even after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) eased its Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) from 27.5 percent to 27 percent, which is the first modest cut in over a year, the relief has been invisible. For businesses and households, borrowing costs remain punishingly high. For small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which drive job creation, loans are still largely inaccessible. The 50-basis-point cut may have symbolic weight, signaling that inflation is moderating, but its real-world impact has been muted.
For millions of Nigerians, the inflation rate is not a percentage on a chart; it is the daily question of whether today’s wage will buy one meal or none. Even with the reported decline in inflation, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that over 30.6 million Nigerians will face acute hunger in 2025. The situation is compounded by the fact that more than 133 million people are already trapped in multidimensional poverty.
The government’s removal of the decades-old fuel subsidy in 2023 was meant to free up over $10 billion annually for education, healthcare, and infrastructure. International institutions like the IMF and World Bank praised it as a bold step toward fiscal discipline. Yet one year later, the results are disheartening. Fuel prices have surged by more than 514 percent, inflation hovers around 21.88 percent, and the cost of living continues to spiral. More troubling still, Nigeria’s external reserves remain stagnant at around $41.046 billion, which is roughly the same level as before the subsidy was removed.
For many Nigerians, the obvious question is, where did the money go?
What’s even more baffling is the federal government’s muted and defensive reaction to the World Bank’s sobering findings. Rather than acknowledging the scale of the crisis, official statements have downplayed the report, insisting that Nigeria is on the “right trajectory toward recovery and inclusive growth.” But inclusive growth for whom? While policymakers in Abuja celebrate macroeconomic stabilisation, hunger and despair continue to expand across the country.
If 139 million Nigerians are poor, as the World Bank and multiple local surveys affirm, how can the government claim recovery? A country cannot be said to be “on the right path” when its citizens cannot afford rice, fuel, or transport fare. The insistence on optimism in the face of deepening hardship has become not only tone-deaf but dangerous. It reflects a disconnect between governance and lived reality, between data manipulation and human experience.
The World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, Dr. Mathew Verghis, underscored this truth when he said, “Despite these stabilisation gains, many Nigerians are still struggling. The challenge is clear: how to translate reform gains into better living standards for all.” That translation from macroeconomic stability to microeconomic relief is the missing bridge in Nigeria’s policy landscape.
Across the country, churches, mosques, and NGOs now fill the gap left by weakened social safety nets. Community kitchens have sprung up in many cities across the country, serving meals to the poor, the homeless, and internally displaced persons. Welfare arms of faith-based organisations now feed widows, orphans, and jobless youth, providing the kind of direct social intervention that the government has yet to institutionalise.
This is the irony of Nigeria’s moment, as macroeconomic gains are celebrated abroad, but despair is deepening at home. Inflation is easing, yet hunger is rising. The MPR is lower, yet credit remains tight. Subsidies are gone, yet the fiscal space they were meant to create remains invisible. Poverty, instead of retreating, has expanded its frontiers.
If reforms continue to benefit numbers and not people, the danger is not merely economic; it is existential. A hungry population cannot sustain democracy, peace, or productivity. Protests, strikes, and growing insecurity are already evidence that social tension is simmering beneath the surface.
Nigeria must confront this crisis with urgency and empathy. Reforms must now turn toward people. The government must strengthen social protection programs, expand food security initiatives, and ensure fiscal transparency so that citizens can see how savings are spent. There must be deliberate investment in human capital like education, healthcare, and job creation to restore hope where despair is fast becoming the norm.
The World Bank’s report released in October 2025 is both a warning and a roadmap. It shows that Nigeria is not without progress, only that progress must now be measured not by GDP or reserves, but by the number of citizens lifted out of hunger and poverty. The real reform test is not in Aso Rock’s figures but in the food markets, the classrooms, and the homes of millions across the country who go to bed hungry.
Until policy gains translate into food on tables, jobs for the youth, and dignity for families, Nigeria’s poverty crisis will remain an emergency beyond policy adjustments.
Blaise, a journalist and PR professional writes from Lagos, can be reached via: [email protected]
STILL ON DELE MOMODU by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode
I saw Dele Momodu’s response to my article on him & was amused.
I tried to be polite & restrained in that write up & I didn’t realise that it would hurt him so deeply. Yet for that I offer no apology.
I said he sounded tired & worne in his interview with Seun Okinbaloye but from his response today it is clear that he is now completely unhinged.
He has blown his gasket & his reaction is rooted more in emotion than it is in logic.
Frankly I feel sorry for him because it is clear that he is fighting a lost cause, he is badly diminished & he is now a shadow of his former self.
For Bobby Dee the glory days are certainly over & I suspect that by 2027 when Tinubu emerges victorious he will crawl back into the hole that he originally came from.
Perhaps at that time he will go back to taking pictures of former Governor Nyesom Wike, the Adeleke’s & other prominent figures for a living & shining their shoes.
Playing clips of things that I said about President Tinubu 11 years ago when I was in the then opposition & when I led the media section of President Jonathan’s presidential campaign organisation will not help him to get rid of the stench of faeces that he has immersed himself in today & neither does it derogate from the fact that he was speaking rubbish when he said Tinubu is a dictator.
Unlike others I will never deny what I have said in the past about Tinubu or anyone else but at least I had the decency & courage to admit that I was wrong & ever since I left the then opposition and joined the APC in 2021 I have not looked back.
Not only did I fight for Tinubu in 2023 during the presidential campaign but I have remained loyal & committed to him & his cause since then and I have no apology for that either.
Unlike Dele I did not benefit from him for close to 40 years, eat from his plate, collect handouts from him, stay in his house, claim to be his brother and yet refuse to support him in achieving his dream of becoming President.
Bobby Dee’s nose is so far up the posterior of those he is now slaving for that he forgot to mention the fact that every single one of them, at some point or the other in their sorry lives & career, have not only changed political parties several times over but have also opposed Tinubu bitterly & even more vehemently than I ever did only to go back & later re-align with him.
I do not begrudge them or blame them for that because that is the nature of politics all over the world.
There are no permanent friends or enemies but only permanent interests and in my view it is in the interest of Nigeria that Tinubu continues the reforms that he started in 2023 after he was elected President.
It is also my view that Nigeria must never fall into the hands of the conglomeration of court jesters, sorry clowns & motely crew of insufferable jokers that Dele is now speaking, slaving & fronting for.
I will still be gentle with my old friend because I have a soft spot for him but if he ever crosses the line with me again I will stop being so restrained.
He does not have the stomach for a real fight because he is vain and thin-skinned. He also has an over- inflated opinion of himself and a huge ego.
These are weaknesses in this game and not strengths and as we get closer to the presidential campaign he will learn this the hard way.
Meanwhile he should stay in his lane otherwise I will give him plenty to write about.
For him to compare Tinubu to Abacha was wrong and if he was anything like the dictator that Dele claims he is both Dele and those he speaks for today would either be dead or in jail.
He should count himself lucky that our President is a democrat and not a monster.
Dele’s lies, duplicity & shameless perfidy have finally been exposed & are as obvious & glaring as his very large stomach.
I advise him to do some press ups & go jogging because unlike before I will no longer remain silent as he & his friends throw mud at our President.
Game on!
(FFK)
society
OWUTU FM 2026 Ramadan Lecture: Sheikh Jamiu Asanbe Urges Muslims to Avoid Showboating in Worship
OWUTU FM 2026 Ramadan Lecture: Sheikh Jamiu Asanbe Urges Muslims to Avoid Showboating in Worship.
The Chief Imam of Agelete Central Mosque, Ikoyi Lagos, Alhaji Jamiu Asanbe, has urged Muslims to remain sincere in their acts of worship and avoid the temptation of seeking public praise for good deeds.
The respected Islamic scholar gave this admonition while delivering a lecture at the OWUTU FM 2026 Ramadan Lecture, held on Saturday, February 28, 2026, in Lagos.
Speaking on the importance of sincerity in Islam, Sheikh Asanbe cautioned Muslim faithful against what he described as “showboating” — the practice of performing charitable acts or religious duties merely to gain recognition or admiration from others.
According to him, every act of worship in Islam must be done purely for the sake of Almighty Allah.
He explained that while acts such as prayer, fasting, and charity are fundamental pillars of faith, their true value lies in the intention behind them.
The cleric therefore encouraged Muslims to remain genuine in their devotion and avoid mixing their faith with the desire for worldly praise or attention.
Sheikh Asanbe also reminded the faithful that the holy month of Ramadan presents a unique opportunity for spiritual renewal. He urged believers to increase acts of generosity, particularly by supporting the needy, vulnerable members of society, and orphans.
Earlier in her remarks, the Convener of the Ramadan Lecture and CEO of OWUTU FM, Hajia Adejoke Muyibat Balogun, encouraged attendees to use the sacred month as a time for reflection, self-improvement, and community development.
She described the lecture theme as carefully selected to promote spirituality, strengthen faith, and encourage peaceful coexistence within the community.
Balogun expressed appreciation to the numerous guests and supporters who attended the event, noting that their presence reflected the strong bond within the community.
She further reaffirmed OWUTU FM’s commitment to sustaining the annual Ramadan Lecture, praying for Allah’s continued guidance and mercy in the years ahead.
The 2026 edition of the Ramadan Lecture attracted dignitaries and representatives from various organisations including Uzamot Communications, Okutex Fabrics, and the Yeye Asiwaju of Ojota Kingdom.
The event also featured engaging activities such as a quiz competition, where winners were presented with gifts. In the spirit of Ramadan, iftar meals were shared with guests, reinforcing the values of unity, generosity, and compassion that define the holy month.
Through initiatives like this, OWUTU FM continues to play a vital role in promoting faith-based dialogue, community engagement, and social harmony.
Tinubu Abroad, Nigeria in Chaos: The Spectacle of Elite Excess
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
“Government officials queue to bid him farewell as he departs, only to rush ahead and line up again to welcome him at his destination; a stark display of misaligned priorities in Nigerian leadership.”
Wednesday, March18, 2026
In a spectacle that has plunged Nigeria’s political class into fresh ignominy, a long line of federal ministers, governors, senators and political hangers‑on queued outside a London hotel this week to welcome President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR upon his arrival in the United Kingdom for a two‑day state visit.
Not only did these government officials send off Mr. Tinubu as he departed Nigeria (a ritual in itself excessive given the scale of pressing national crises) they rushed ahead to London to line the halls of his hotel, applauding and greeting him like conquering heroes arriving on foreign shores. This is how Nigeria’s elites now comport themselves while millions of citizens endure ever‑deepening hardship.
A Travesty of Priorities
Tinubu’s visit to the UK, hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, is officially billed as an effort to deepen trade relations, attract investment and strengthen bilateral cooperation between Britain and Africa’s most populous nation. While those diplomatic objectives in theory could benefit Nigeria, the optics of an entire political class fawning over a president abroad are unbearably grim against the backdrop of domestic suffering.
According to recent economic analysis, despite macroeconomic adjustments such as ending fuel subsidies and floating the naira, more than 60% of Nigerians still live in poverty and daily hardships are rampant. Security remains a grave concern with violence and banditry destabilising large swathes of the country. Instead of addressing these crises with urgency, Nigeria’s leadership appears fascinated with photo‑ops overseas.
“A System of Self‑Centred Elites”
Critics within Nigeria have not minced words. Political observers describe the spectacle as a display of self‑centred politics divorced from the realities facing ordinary citizens. One observer on social platforms summed up the broader sentiment: “Tinubu represents a system of self‑centred elites (elite consensus over popular will) and this is exactly the performative politics that lines like these embody.”
Dr. Godfrey Mwakikagile, a respected African scholar on post‑colonial governance, has long warned that bad leadership and lack of accountability are Africa’s greatest challenges. “Power in many African states is too centralised and concentrated in the hands of elites who use it to perpetuate themselves at the expense of the public good,” Mwakikagile recently argued; a critique that resonates all the more when ministers fly abroad not to pursue tangible policy but to line up like admirers.
The Cost of Foreign Pageantry
This isn’t the first time Tinubu’s foreign engagements have attracted scrutiny. His administration’s frequent travels (often with large entourages) have drawn criticism for prioritising optics over outcomes, especially when Nigeria’s economy contracts and its people struggle with food inflation and insecurity.
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has been among the most vocal domestic critics of these priorities, noting that Tinubu’s extensive foreign travel (including to the UK) distracts from urgent national needs and has become a “matter of grave concern.” Obi insists that such actions reveal a leadership more interested in global visibility than domestic wellbeing.
Nigeria Jagajaga!
The phrase “Nigeria jagajaga” (loosely translated as Nigeria being in disarray) has never felt more apt. A nation where ministers greet presidents in plush foreign suites while citizens queue for food and services is a country deeply out of balance.
Instead of being welcomed like dignitaries abroad, ministers and governors should be at home addressing the root causes of Nigeria’s struggles: insecurity that displaces communities and kills livelihoods, an economy that leaves the majority impoverished despite reforms, and the persistent failings of governance that erode public trust.
What Nigerians Deserve
President Tinubu and his entourage should be judged not by the number of ministers who lined up to greet him in London, but by the lives changed back in Nigeria.
As scholars like Mwakikagile and critics like Obi remind us, political leadership must be accountable and grounded in service, not spectacle. Nigeria’s leaders owe the people more than applause at international hotels; they owe them safety, economic opportunity, and genuine progress.
If this nation is ever to break free from the cycle of “jagajaga,” then those in power must demonstrate sincerity, not pageantry; action, not admiration. The lines outside a London hotel are not a testament to leadership; they are a testament to where Nigeria’s priorities have tragically come to rest.
-
society6 months agoReligion: Africa’s Oldest Weapon of Enslavement and the Forgotten Truth
-
news3 months agoWHO REALLY OWNS MONIEPOINT? The $290 Million Deal That Sold Nigeria’s Top Fintech to Foreign Interests
-
society6 months ago“You Are Never Without Help” – Pastor Gebhardt Berndt Inspires Hope Through Empower Church (Video)
-
society7 months agoWho is Chief Kestin Pondi? Niger Delta’s “People’s Chief” Winning Hearts With Hundreds of Millions in Generosity