Owerri - Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has raised alarm over worsening poverty levels in Nigeria, declaring that there are more poor people in the country today than at independence in 1960.
El-Rufai, a key member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the remark during an interactive session in Owerri, Imo State, stressing that poverty can only be tackled if government makes it a priority.
In a statement later shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, the former governor said Nigeria must urgently adopt a clear roadmap to beat mass poverty, just as China has successfully done and India is currently pursuing.
“It is deeply embarrassing that, judging from the population estimate in 1960, there are now more poor Nigerians than there were Nigerians at independence 65 years ago. China has beaten mass poverty, while India is on a path to ending it. We too can do it, if we make it a governance priority,” he said.
El-Rufai called for a pragmatic economic programme that empowers citizens to become more productive and rewards honest work. He dismissed the creation of new agencies on poverty alleviation or humanitarian affairs as wasteful, arguing instead for innovative approaches that discourage “get-rich-quick” practices and rent-seeking.
“What is needed is not new agencies of poverty alleviation or ‘humanitarian affairs’ with a massive bureaucracy, but innovative ways to make honest, hardworking citizens more productive and better-rewarded,” he added.
The former governor maintained that with the right policies and leadership focus, Nigeria has the capacity to pull millions of its citizens out of poverty and restore dignity to livelihoods.
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