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Federal Government impertinence to mitigate poverty is a demagogue : as Poverty continues to ravage over 146 million Nigerian masses
By Comrade Gbenga Olowoyo milr fcia fimpa JP
In the words of the former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela who submitted that “Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.”
Above quotation from the evergreen late President Nelson Mandela is a quick reminder and corroboration to the projection released by the World Bank on Nigeria that the Poverty of one of the most populated country in Africa indicated that more Nigerians will sink into poverty by 2027
The World Bank made the disclosure in its Africa’s pulse report released at the recently held spring meeting of the international Monetary Fund (lMF) and the world Bank in Washington DC United States.
It is very unfortunate that the release made by the world Bank is a pointer that Nigeria will find it difficult to solve the problem of poverty in a quicker form because “poverty in resource – rich fragile countries ( Which include large countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria) is expected to increase by 3.6 % points over 2022-2027 being the only group in the region with increasing poverty rates”
The recalcitrant attitude of political leaders across the poverty ridden countries in Africa especially in Nigeria where the service delivery is at the lowest ebb, honestly, when the world Bank and the lMF were comparing notes at the springs meeting; the world Bank cautioned Nigeria that there is need for “urgent improvement in service delivery in countries with expanding population such as in Nigeria among others.
It is a sad remembrance when in 2018, very disturbing reports emerged that Nigeria overtook India as the country with the largest number of people living in extreme poverty, with an estimated 87 million Nigerians said to be living on less than $1.90 per day while Nigeria bureau of statistics further rekindled our frustration when it was further revealed in 2022 that over 133 millions Nigerians were multidimensionally living in poverty.
Although, the Federal Government of Nigeria has continued to fallaciously claim that the government has made claims to lift people out of poverty, even as the living conditions in most parts of the country have further deterioratedly collapsed.
As a quick reminder again, since present administration came into power, President Bola Tinubu has introduced some socio-economic reforms which the government said were aimed at fixing the economy and redirecting it on the path of growth: removal of fuel subsidies, unification of exchange rates, among others.
The ripple and terrible effects of the policies on the majority of hapless vulnerable people and Nigeria masses have been severe on many Nigerians, amid elevated food prices and sundry inflationary pressures and triggering hunger.
Honestly speaking, Mathama Gandhi of India said that poverty is the worst form violence, hence, we must appreciate thoughts of great political leaders who have equally submitted that overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity, palliative distributions, sharing of money but it should be an act of justice, how has Nigeria political leadership and government as an institution treat the weakest and most helpless citizens.
The debilitating increase in Poverty in Nigeria is predicated on the Nigeria ecosystem and deeply -rooted in the morally corrupt concepts.
*Root Causes of Poverty in Nigeria:*
In very clear terms, the root causes of poverty cannot be far fetched as listed below:
*Corruption & Poor Governance:*
*Mismanagement of resources,*
lack of accountability, and political instability divert funds, hindering development.
*Unemployment:* Especially for youth and graduates, due to weak job creation and skills mismatch,
*Inadequate Infrastructure* : Poor roads, power, and healthcare systems increase costs, reduce productivity, and trap people in poverty.
*Poor Education & Healthcare:* Lack of access to quality education and affordable healthcare limits human capital development and workforce potential.
*Economic Vulnerabilities:* Over-dependence on oil, low productivity, and high inequality widen the gap between rich and poor.
*Insecurity & Conflict:*
Terrorism and conflicts displace people, disrupt livelihoods, and halt economic progress, notes this article from vocal.media.
Environmental Degradation: Oil pollution and desertification destroy farmland, affecting rural incomes.
*High Population Growth:* Strains resources like food, housing, and services,
corruption.
*Practicable solutions to Poverty in Nigeria are hereby presented below:*
*Strengthen Governance:*
Improve transparency, accountability, and the rule of law to fight corruption and ensure effective resource use,
*Diversify Economy:*
Move away from oil to boost agriculture, manufacturing, and technology sectors, notes this article from vocal.media.
Invest in Human Capital: Improve education quality and access to affordable healthcare to build a skilled workforce,
Poverty in Nigeria is neither ethnic nor religious inflicted but rather widespread and deepening by bad leadership with shortsighted vision, with recent data indicating over 60% of the population (around 133-150 million people) facing multidimensional poverty, marked by deprivations in health, education, and living standards, particularly in rural areas driven by food inflation, insecurity, and economic shocks. While monetary poverty sits lower (around 40-56%), multidimensional poverty reveals severe hardship, with high percentages lacking access to clean energy, sanitation, and food security, despite Nigeria’s large economy.
*What is poverty*?
In economics, poverty is a state where individuals or communities lack the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living, defined as an inability to meet basic needs like food, clean water, shelter, and healthcare, extending to broader deprivations in health, education, and opportunity. Economists distinguish between absolute poverty, lacking resources for survival, and relative poverty, falling below the general living standards of a society, often measured by income or consumption levels relative to a set poverty line.
The level of poverty in Nigeria has gone beyond boundaries, recently, the Nigeria Civil Service Union disclosed that 80% of Nigerian workers are presently living below poverty level due to frustrating economic situations in Nigeria
This was contained in a Communique issued at the end of the 82nd National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Nigeria Civil Service Union held on Thursday 11th December, 2025 at the Green minds Hotel, Utako Abuja, Federal Capital Territory signed by both the National President Comrade Oluwole Adeleye Sunday and the General Secretary Comrade Olowoyo Gbenga of the Union.
The 82nd National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Nigeria Civil Service Union NCSU ex-rayed the various economic indices, social crisis and high rate of insecurity in the country the meeting resolved that Federal Government must take bull by the horn and find lasting solutions to the hydra headed problems facing Nigerian workers and Nigeria populace.
“The NEC in session evaluated the standard of living of Nigerian workers vis a Vis their dependants, it was revealed that not less than 80% of Nigerian workers are living below poverty level because their purchasing powers have been eroded with various trials and errors economic policies of the Federal Government”
Nigerian workers are presently faced with inability to pay their children school fees, provide three square meals daily, inability to provide habitable shelter due to astronomical increase in house rent etc
Consequent upon the above scenarios, the Federal Government is hereby called upon to provide appropriate financial intervention to rescue Nigerian workers from the present penury and worst economic experience they are undergoing presently.
“It is very unfortunate to note that the wage award of N40,000 Forty thousand naira is still outstanding for three months which are yet to be paid to Federal workers while office the Executive Chairman salaries income and wages commission is sitting on the 40% peculiar allowance that is supposed to be implemented in tandem with N70,000 minimum wage is still outstanding”
“The NEC in session reviewed the much talked about increase in Nigeria’s minimum wage to ₦70,000 has had both positive and negative impacts on workers because the purchasing power of workers has been eroded with an astronomical increase in prices of goods and services in all ramifications due to galloping inflation.
The general consequences of the New National Minimum Wage on worker’s salary continue to bring shock and pressure resulting in unfulfilled aspirations, domestic and social needs of both immediate and extended family members.
The concern of stakeholders and advocate to fight against poverty became more fiery when it was obvious that Federal Government only Allocates Below 1% Of 2026 Budget To Fight Poverty
It is very disheartening to note that Federal Government only plans to spend about N206.50bn on poverty alleviation-related projects in the 2026 budget, an amount that represents far below one per cent of the total N58.47tn spending in the 2026 budget.
A review of project-level data from the 2026 Appropriation Bill shows that all items directly tagged to poverty alleviation across ministries, departments, and agencies, as well as the Service Wide Vote, add up to N206.5bn.
When measured against the total budget of N58.47tn, this translates to about 0.35 per cent of overall federal spending for the year. When compared with the capital budget of N23.21tn, the poverty-related envelope represents roughly 0.89 per cent.
The bulk of this allocation comes from the Service Wide Vote, where two major recurrent provisions under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy dominate the figures.
The first is the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy under FGN commitment, including NSIP upscaling with a provision of N100bn, while the second is the NPRGS recurrent allocation of another N100bn.
Together, they account for N200bn, which is over 96 per cent of the entire poverty alleviation envelope for 2026. This means that without the Service-Wide Vote entries, all MDAs combined account for only N6.50bn in poverty-related projects.
The Border Communities Development Agency headquarters records N63m across two projects targeted at the Zamfara North Senatorial District. These include N28m for poverty alleviation and empowerment for women in Zamfara North and N35m for poverty alleviation and empowerment in the same district. These are geographically focused interventions that make up a small fraction of the overall allocation.
In its characteristics of evaluating government perception and interest in Public policy, the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) under the National President of the Congress has warned that the combination of heavy taxation, low wages and rising national debt poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s economic and democratic stability, which can further plunge Nigeria masses to another level of poverty.
The NLC President Joe Ajaero issued the warning in Abuja recently during the book launch and 85th birthday celebration of the founding President of the NLC, Hassan Summonu, where he accused the government of excluding workers and the poor from critical policy decisions that directly affect their lives.
He said, “Today, we honour a titan of the working-class struggle, a man whose life and work are captured in the defiant title of his book: ‘Organise, Don’t Agonise.’ This is not just a title; it is the militant creed that has defined Comrade Summonu’s journey and the very soul of our movement.
“The Federal Government must immediately and fully constitute the National Pension Commission (PenCom)’s Board and address the concerns of Nigerians on the tax law, instead of the present grandstanding.
“Insisting on going ahead amid confusion is like muddling along in darkness. This dangerous pattern undermines tax administration itself and indeed our democracy.
“Your legacy must be in crafting credible laws that strengthen institutions, not undermine them. When you bypass key stakeholders and rule by strong arm, you negate public trust and threaten national stability.
“We will continue to organise. We will continue to challenge power. We will continue to fight for a Nigeria where no worker has to agonise over poverty, insecurity, heavy taxation or a stolen future riddled with national debt.”
It is very gratifying to note that necessary stakeholders such as Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN). have lend their voices to the revelation made by world Bank on the possible 56% of Nigerian population to live below poverty level by 2027
As a result, NACCIMA and OPS are calling for urgent, decisive and coordinated action to reverse the trend.
The World Bank, in its latest report, predicted that poverty will continue to rise in the coming years, potentially reaching 56% by 2027.
In a statement at the weekend, Dele Kelvin Oye, president, NACCIMA outlined a 13-point short-term measures to halt and reverse the projected rise in poverty.
These include targeted economic stimulus packages, greater investment in agriculture, expanded access to credit and microfinance, and supportive and predictable tax environment and robust vocational training programs for unemployed youth and women, amongst others.
On Economic Stimulus Packages, Oye who is also the chairman of the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria stated, “The government should implement well-structured and targeted stimulus packages focused on vulnerable populations. Such measures should include cash transfers, food assistance programmes, and direct support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to stimulate job creation.
In his words, “Given that a significant proportion of Nigerians rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, there is a need for targeted investment in this sector. Subsidising inputs, providing long-term single-digit credit, and expanding training programmes can help increase food security and foster sustainable livelihoods.
“Expanding access to microfinance for small businesses, cooperatives, and entrepreneurs will promote self-employment and help reduce poverty. Facilitating favourable lending conditions specifically for women and youth is crucial, alongside the urgent development of youth-targeted capital to address the ongoing trend of the ‘Japa Syndrome.’
“Establishing robust vocational and skills training programmes for the unemployed and underemployed will enhance employability and support new entrepreneurs in high-demand sectors. The government should not only strengthen its existing partnership with the German government on vocational training but also collaborate with NACCIMA to expand vocational training opportunities nationwide.”
*Oye continued: “Improving infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, will increase market access for farmers and small businesses, leading to increased incomes and, ultimately, poverty reduction.*
“Expanding social safety nets, which include unemployment benefits and healthcare access, will provide much-needed relief to those facing financial distress and support their pathways to recovery.
“Targeted awareness campaigns are crucial to ensure that vulnerable populations are informed about the various government programmes and services available to assist them.
“The worsening security crisis—ranging from insurgencies to armed groups disrupting agricultural activities—remains a major driver of rural poverty and food insecurity. It is vital for government to act swiftly and decisively to restore peace and security, especially in rural communities, thereby creating a stable environment for agricultural productivity and investment.”
Part of the practical solutions is to establish and maintain a robust, transparent framework for monitoring and evaluating all poverty-reduction initiatives, ensuring their effectiveness and enabling real-time improvements where necessary.
We are not unaware of the statement made by the Honourable Minister for Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, that Nigeria needs a minimum annual growth rate of 7 percent to effectively reduce poverty but what effort is government making to achieve this assertion.
There is a need for the Government to act decisively and without delay, pursue a multifaceted strategy that combines immediate relief measures with long-term, strategic planning for the poverty ridden population.”
This is a strong.pointer to the simple fact that there is poverty in the land, suffering is now a pattern of living in Nigeria, hardship is now an entrenched policy pattern like a compulsory course for all under privileged Nigerians, insensitivity is now political leaders virtues, provision of compulsory safety of lives and property have been obliterated from Nigeria constitution. It is now “take care of yourself, if you like yourself syndrome”.
Honestly, it is a very alarming and unfortunate situation!!!
Comrade Olowoyo Gbenga milr fcia fimpa JP
Trade unionist, industrial relation practitioner, Public policy analyst, gbengaolowoyo3@gmail.com 08033570338
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