Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has decried the alarming poverty rate in Nigeria, saying the situation calls for urgent action.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Obi attributed the country’s worsening poverty level to a misplaced priority by the government.

He said it was time for the government at all levels to prioritise critical areas of development, most importantly by investing in health, education, and poverty alleviation.

Citing a recent report by the World Bank, the opposition leader observed that the poverty rate among rural Nigerians has risen to over 75 per cent, indicating widespread economic hardship.

“The report also highlighted that 41.3 per cent of Nigeria’s urban population now lives below the poverty line. This shows that poverty is no longer just a rural crisis—it has become a national emergency.

“In comparison, the World Bank reported that in 2018/2019, about 30.9 per cent of Nigerians lived below the international extreme poverty line.

“As of 2025, that figure has more than doubled instead of improving. These facts confirm that poverty in Nigeria has worsened significantly—and this is no coincidence,” Mr Obi said on X, formerly Twitter.

Mr Obi called for the need to address the root causes of poverty, stating that rather than investing in critical sectors, the country has prioritised wasteful spending on non-developmental projects such as conference centres and fleets of official vehicles.

“Nigeria must expand access to quality education and healthcare, and support job creation by investing in and empowering Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which are essential for lifting people out of poverty,” Mr Obi added.