Nigeria: Former governor Obi sounds alarm over Nigeria’s deepening poverty crisis
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria
Former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, has sounded the alarm over Nigeria’s deepening poverty crisis, with 141 million Nigerians (62% of the population) living in poverty. He attributes this to politicians’ focus on power struggles and party control, rather than addressing the nation’s economic challenges.
141 million Nigerians live in poverty (62% of the population)
Poverty increased from 81 million in 2019 to 139 million in 2025
14 million more Nigerians fell into poverty between 2023 and 2024
Obi also criticized the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for failing to pay Super Eagles players’ match allowances, calling it an “embarrassing reflection of the country’s misplaced priorities”.
