The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has blamed the worsening poverty and hunger in Nigeria on the economic policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, urging the Federal Government to reverse its current economic direction.
The opposition party said recent reports by the World Bank and the World Food Programme (WFP), which indicate that about 139 million Nigerians are living below the national poverty line while 17 million face acute hunger, show that the administration’s reforms have failed to improve citizens’ welfare despite claims of economic recovery.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the figures reflected the devastating impact of the government’s economic policies and warned that conditions could worsen if urgent changes were not made.
According to the party, improvements in government revenue, economic growth and foreign reserves have not translated into better living conditions for ordinary Nigerians.
“The recent World Bank report showing that about 60 per cent of Nigerians now live below the poverty line is the inevitable consequence of economic policies that have favoured statistics over the survival of the people,” the statement said.
The ADC maintained that economic growth would remain meaningless unless it improved the welfare of citizens, accusing the Tinubu administration of sustaining policies that have deepened hardship while presenting them as necessary sacrifices.
The party argued that the latest poverty and hunger figures should prompt serious reflection by the government, insisting that Nigeria needs leadership focused on improving the quality of life of its citizens rather than celebrating economic indicators.
It also criticised the government’s reliance on palliative programmes, saying temporary relief measures cannot solve the country’s poverty and food insecurity challenges.
As an alternative, the ADC proposed structural reforms aimed at boosting agricultural production, reducing energy costs, improving security in farming communities, rehabilitating Nigeria’s 264 abandoned dams for irrigation, expanding access to quality seeds and fertilisers, investing in storage and agro-processing facilities, and creating regional agricultural production belts to lower food prices.
The party also pledged to prioritise investments in nutrition, healthcare, education and skills development, insisting that the true measure of economic success is the ability to reduce poverty, create jobs and ensure that Nigerians can afford decent meals.
According to the ADC, until poverty declines and fewer Nigerians go hungry, claims of economic success will remain disconnected from the realities facing ordinary citizens.
