The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has attributed the worsening levels of poverty and hunger in Nigeria to the economic policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, urging the President to either change course immediately or step down from office.
The opposition party argued that recent reports by the World Bank and the World Food Programme (WFP) indicate that the government’s economic reforms have failed to improve the living conditions of Nigerians, despite official assurances of economic progress.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ADC believes the latest findings from the World Bank and the WFP paint a troubling picture of the country’s economic reality.
According to the party, the World Bank’s report showing that approximately 139 million Nigerians now live below the national poverty line, alongside the WFP’s estimate that 17 million people are experiencing acute food insecurity, highlights the severe impact of the current administration’s economic policies.
The ADC maintained that the figures demonstrate the failure of the government’s economic agenda and warned that the situation could deteriorate further if urgent policy adjustments are not made.
While acknowledging that the Federal Government has continued to highlight positive economic indicators such as increased revenue, economic growth, and improved foreign reserves, the opposition party argued that those gains have not translated into meaningful improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians, who continue to grapple with rising living costs, poverty, and hunger.
The statement explained, “The recent reports by the World Bank indicating that 139 million Nigerians or about 60 per cent of the population now live below the national poverty line are hardly surprising, as this catastrophic situation is the inevitable consequence of economic policies that have favoured money over people and statistics over survival.”
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) said it had consistently warned that improvements in economic growth and government revenue would amount to little if they failed to translate into better living conditions for Nigerians.
The opposition party accused the Tinubu administration of persisting with policies that it believes have worsened the economic hardship faced by citizens while portraying them as unavoidable sacrifices for long-term recovery.
According to the ADC, rather than reviewing its economic strategy, the government has continued to pursue what it described as damaging policies, presenting what it called economic recklessness as bold leadership and justifying citizens’ suffering as a necessary price for reform.
The party argued that the latest poverty and hunger figures should serve as an assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s performance after three years in office, saying the statistics ought to prompt serious introspection within the administration.
It further contended that, given what it described as the government’s poor economic performance, the President should be considering stepping down instead of pursuing another term in office.
The ADC maintained that Nigeria needs a government that prioritises improving the welfare of its citizens rather than focusing on favourable macroeconomic indicators. It stressed that the true measure of any economic policy should be its ability to reduce poverty, create employment opportunities, and enhance the quality of life of ordinary Nigerians.
The party also criticised the Federal Government’s continued reliance on palliative programmes, arguing that short-term relief measures cannot provide lasting solutions to poverty and food insecurity.
According to the ADC, sustainable progress can only be achieved through comprehensive structural reforms that boost production, strengthen the agricultural sector, and create long-term sources of income for citizens.
As part of its proposed economic agenda, the party pledged to reduce energy costs, improve security in farming communities, and rehabilitate Nigeria’s 264 abandoned dams to expand irrigation farming and increase agricultural productivity.
It also promised to improve farmers’ access to quality seeds, fertilisers, and agricultural extension services, while investing in storage infrastructure and agro-processing facilities. The party further proposed establishing regional agricultural production belts to strengthen food distribution networks and help lower food prices nationwide.
Additionally, the ADC said it would prioritise investments in nutrition, healthcare, education, and skills development to address the underlying causes of poverty and hunger.
The opposition party concluded that the success of any government should ultimately be judged by measurable improvements in the living standards of Nigerians, rather than by economic statistics alone.
“Hunger is the most honest measure of economic performance because it cannot be manipulated. Until fewer Nigerians go to bed hungry, until poverty begins to fall instead of rise, and until every Nigerian family can once again afford three decent meals a day, every claim of economic success will remain unrecognisable to the people whose lives those policies are supposed to improve,” the statement added.
