Tinubu's Economic Policies Under Fire as Poverty Figures Soar

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has expressed deep concern over the recent World Bank report, which reveals that a staggering 139 million Nigerians are currently living below the national poverty line. This disturbing figure is further compounded by a report from the World Food Program, WFP, indicating that 17 million Nigerians are grappling with acute hunger, marking the country's worst food security crisis in nearly a decade. According to the ADC's National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, these reports are a stark testament to the failure of President Bola Tinubu's economic policies. The party argues that if Tinubu's administration continues to implement these policies, the consequences will be catastrophic, with a reported 79 percent of the population, approximately 200 million people, teetering on the brink of poverty. The ADC is urging President Tinubu to abandon his neoliberal economic policies, which have had a devastating impact on the lives of Nigerians, or step down, as the country cannot continue down this destructive path. Abdullahi stated that the party is deeply disturbed by the World Bank's report, which shows that 60 percent of Nigeria's population lives below the poverty line. He noted, 'This is hardly surprising, as this catastrophic situation is the inevitable consequence of economic policies that have favored money over people and statistics over survival.' The ADC has consistently warned that the economic growth, increased revenue, and rising foreign reserves celebrated by the Tinubu-led APC government are meaningless if they do not translate into improved lives for the people or protect their livelihoods. Instead of changing course, the government has stubbornly stuck to its ruinous economic policies, even marketing recklessness as courage and wickedness as 'necessary pains.' However, three years into the administration, the consequences of these policies have become glaringly evident. Abdullahi said, 'The evidence of 139 million people living in poverty and 17 million at risk of starvation is President Tinubu's scorecard. This alone should prompt him to consider resigning from office rather than seeking re-election.' The ADC believes that what Nigeria needs is a government that genuinely cares about the people and understands their struggles. A government that recognizes that the true measure of any economic policy is its impact on the lives of the people, not just statistics. The party rejects the cycle of temporary interventions and emergency responses that have defined the APC's economic policies, arguing that poverty cannot be defeated through palliatives alone. To address the issue of hunger, an ADC government would pursue structural reforms, starting with reducing energy costs and making food production safe again. The party plans to secure farming communities and agricultural corridors, allowing farmers to cultivate and transport their produce safely and affordably to markets. Additionally, the ADC would increase domestic food production by rehabilitating abandoned irrigation systems, improving access to quality seeds and fertilizers, and investing in storage and agro-processing facilities. The party also aims to build an integrated national food economy, where neighboring states coordinate production, processing, and market access according to their comparative advantages, thereby reducing food prices and creating jobs. Furthermore, the ADC would invest in the Nigerian people, prioritizing nutrition, primary healthcare, quality basic education, and skills development, as these are essential for building a prosperous economy. Abdullahi emphasized that the choice before Nigeria is no longer between competing economic theories, but about addressing the pressing issue of hunger, which is the most accurate measure of economic performance. He stated, 'Until fewer Nigerians go to bed hungry, until poverty begins to fall instead of rise, and until every Nigerian family can afford three decent meals a day, every claim of economic success will remain unrecognizable to the people whose lives those policies are supposed to improve.'