All levels of government in the country should not only be concerned but also ashamed of the high poverty among Nigerians and the deteriorating living conditions. Sadly, the damning rating has been consistent over the years, despite the huge resources available to be exploited for the benefit of most citizens. That such a positive turnaround is not happening points to half-hearted measures and policies by the government, borne out of a lack of political will to serve the people with sincerity. President Tinubu and the 36 state governors should, amidst their current efforts to lift the country, demonstrate the will to be different in substantially reducing the poverty and want prevalent in the country.
The World Bank has, lately, expressed concern about the worsening living conditions of Nigerian children. In its April 2026 Nigeria Development Update titled: ‘Nigeria’s Tomorrow Must Start Today: The Case for Early Childhood Development’, the organisation laments what is reported as ‘a deep early childhood development crisis’, warning that ‘weak outcomes in health, nutrition, and learning are undermining long-term productivity and economic growth.’
Last month, Piggyvest, a company that describes itself as ‘the first online Savings & Investment App in West Africa,’ reportedly issued a report stating that only six per cent of Nigerians feel financially secure. And 28 per cent reported earning no income at all. Furthermore, 30 per cent of Nigerians earn less than N100,000 a month in 2025.
The cause of ‘early childhood development crisis’, of the 94 per cent financially insecure Nigerians, and of the 28 per cent zero- earning citizens (if Piggyvest is to be believed), is firmly and squarely ascribable to government policies – now and before now. To put it differently, Nigerians, young and old, are increasingly impoverished because of the failure of their successive governments to, as a matter of sworn oath and personal honour, perform their duties as charged by the constitution. Section 14(2)(b) states unequivocally that ‘ the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government’.
Furthermore, the Constitution, under the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy in Section 17, charges the government with establishing a social order that not only ensures the welfare of citizens but is founded on the ideals of Freedom, Equality, and Justice. Concerning adult citizens, subsection 3(a) requires that ‘all citizens, without discrimination on any group whatsoever, have the opportunity for securing adequate means of livelihood as well as adequate opportunity to secure suitable employment’. Subsection 3(f) urges that ‘children, young persons, and the aged are protected against any exploitation whatsoever, and against moral and material neglect.’
These charges are the responsibility of the government as formulator and implementer of state policy. The fact that Nigerians suffer multidimensional poverty as globally defined cannot but be blamed on the warped way the government runs the country and applies its vast resources.
Globally, as the World Economic Forum highlights, it is the government’s responsibility first to protect the country and its people from internal lawlessness and external aggression. Second, the government is a provider of goods and services that citizens alone and by themselves are unable to provide. Thirdly, it is the responsibility of the government to invest in human capital, in order to build a valuable and productive manpower; and finance capital goods such as large –cost-intensive infrastructure, including power supply, rail and road networks.
To ensure that governments serve the interests of the people, the United Nations established in 2015 the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which the 193 member countries are enjoined to meet by 2030. The first of these is for all signatory countries to ‘end poverty in all its forms everywhere’. The second -and related goal – is ‘Zero Hunger’ and the third is titled: ‘Good Health and Wellbeing’. Other SDGs that aim to ensure a better, more humane world include Quality Education, Gender Equality, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. But these lofty and laudable goals are only attainable to the extent of the political will and moral commitment of the government of each country. Sadly, and in spite of the resources available to achieve impressive results in the 17 goals, successive Nigerian governments have, as evidenced by the latest report, failed miserably themselves, their people, and the well-meaning world organisation.
The Sustainable Development Report 2025 for all 193 UN member countries ranks Nigeria 147th with a score of 54.68 per cent, behind Algeria 79th and 70.09 per cent; Egypt 91st with 69.09 per cent; Ghana 120th with 63.13 per cent; Mali 141st with 56.33 per cent; and the Benin Republic 134th with 57.77 per cent.
The 2025 Global Hunger Index (GHI) ranks Nigeria at 115th out of 123 countries surveyed, with a score of 32.8. According to the reporting authorities, ‘based on the values of the four indicators, a GHI score is calculated on a 100-point scale reflecting the severity of hunger, where 0 is the best possible score (no hunger), and 100 is the worst. These indicators are for Nigeria: 19.9 per cent of the population is undernourished, 33.8 per cent of children under five are stunted, 11.6 per cent of children under five are wasted, and 10.5 per cent of children die before their fifth birthday.
Each country’s GHI score is classified by severity, from low to
extremely alarming. They wrote that ‘with a score of 32.8 in the 2025 Global Hunger Index, Nigeria has a level of hunger that is serious.’ An undernourished citizenry cannot contribute productively to its country’s socio-economic development.
On April 27, 2001, in Article 26 of their body of resolutions, African Union (AU) governments adopted the Abuja Declaration, in which they set a target of allocating at least 15 per cent of their national budgets to improve health care. The countries’ pledge to set a target of allocating at least 15 per cent of their annual budgets to improving the health sector. Nigeria, which hosted this meeting, has not met this target in the past decade. The 2025 budgetary allocation to the health sector was N2.56 trillion or 5.15 per cent of the total federal budget; lower than the previous year’s allocation (5.61 per cent) and a far cry from the Abuja Declaration requirement.
Surely, Nigerian governments need to do away with the injudicious use of public funds, which contribute to the impoverishment of the people. There is a crucial need to embark on projects that serve the greatest number of people, such as rail transport, which is known worldwide as the cheapest and most effective means of transportation. Misplaced priorities constitute a betrayal of the government’s constitutional obligation.
Official corruption is rife in the public sector and constitutes a significant drain on development resources. Corruption ‘erodes trust, weakens democracy, hampers economic development, and further exacerbates inequality, poverty, social division, and environmental crisis’, according to the World Bank. It is hardly surprising that more and more Nigerians have fallen below the poverty line, from 40 per cent in 2019 to an estimated 62 per cent in 2026, according to Finance in Africa.
Leadership is, to adapt from former U.S. President, F.D Roosevelt, a place of moral leadership. Therefore, it is highly immoral for any government to, by acts of omission and commission, be the very agent of a debasement of lofty values, of social degeneracy and of national underdevelopment. This is beyond a betrayal of public trust; it is perfidy!
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