Mr. Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government’s economic policies of making poverty in Nigeria worse.
He stated that in just two years, the administration had forced more than 50 million people into poverty.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Obi referenced a recent World Bank report published on October 8, 2025, which stated that over 139 million Nigerians currently live in poverty, up from 87 million when President Bola Tinubu took office in 2023.
He described the report as a “heartbreaking reflection” of how government policies have failed to improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
“What is even more concerning,” he said, “is that this devastating revelation has not led to an emergency national discussion on how to lift people out of poverty, but instead caused a rebuttal from the government, when the reality reflects the daily struggles of citizens.”
According to Peter Obi, the World Bank research demonstrates that poverty rates are still rising in spite of a number of praised changes, making Nigeria the most impoverished country in the world.
Peter Obi further blamed the failure of these reforms on unclear planning and poor execution by the APC led administration, arguing that real reforms must be people-focused and targeted at increasing production, assisting farmers and small businesses, funding healthcare and education, and guaranteeing that public spending directly affects citizens.
“No nation can truly rise when the majority of its people are trapped in poverty,” Obi stated, adding that with the right leadership, Nigeria can still work for everyone.
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