Atiku, Obi, Others Unwilling to Acknowledge Nigeria’s Gains Under Tinubu - Showunmi
A political debate in Nigeria has emerged over the accuracy of poverty statistics cited by opposition leader Peter Obi. Fact-checkers note that while poverty is widespread, specific claims about the number of people in extreme hardship are difficult to verify with current, definitive data.
Why it matters
It underscores the difficulty of using economic data in political discourse and the importance of verifying claims regarding national poverty levels.
Claim
“Today we stand before the world as a nation with an extraordinarily large population living in poverty and severe hardship - over 140 million.”
Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), made the claim in his Independence Day address as Nigeria marked its 66th anniversary, on Thursday.
Obi also cited other indicators of hardship, saying Nigeria had “over 18 million” out-of-school children, that “over 40 million Nigerians will be in extreme hunger by the end of 2026,” and that youth unemployment and underemployment stood at “over 35 million.”
He also cited drug abuse and low life expectancy among the country's major challenges.
Findings
Available evidence confirms that poverty, food insecurity and other forms of deprivation are widespread in Nigeria, but it does not conclusively establish Obi's specific claim that more than 140 million Nigerians currently live in poverty and severe hardship.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in