ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has attributed the rising levels of poverty and hunger across Nigeria to the economic policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, urging the President to either reverse his policy direction immediately or step down from office.
The opposition party said recent reports by the World Bank and the World Food Programme (WFP) showed that the administration’s economic reforms had failed to improve the living conditions of Nigerians, despite government claims that the economy was recovering.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ADC viewed the World Bank’s finding that about 139 million Nigerians now live below the national poverty line, alongside the WFP’s estimate that 17 million citizens are facing acute hunger, as clear evidence of the damaging effects of the current administration’s economic policies.
The party argued that the figures demonstrated the failure of the government’s economic approach and warned that the situation could deteriorate further if the policies remained unchanged.
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According to the ADC, although the Federal Government has continued to highlight improvements in revenue generation, economic growth and foreign reserves, those gains have not translated into meaningful improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
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 party maintained that it had consistently cautioned that rising economic indicators and higher government revenues would remain meaningless if they failed to improve citizens’ welfare.
It accused the Tinubu administration of persisting with policies that had deepened hardship while portraying them as unavoidable sacrifices.
The ADC further criticised the government for refusing to change direction, saying it had continued with what it described as damaging economic policies while presenting recklessness as courage and hardship as necessary pain.
The opposition party said the latest poverty and hunger figures reflected President Tinubu’s record after three years in office and should serve as a basis for serious reflection.
It argued that, given what it described as a catastrophic failure, the President should be contemplating resignation instead of pursuing another term in office.
According to the ADC, Nigeria needs a government that focuses on improving the welfare of its people rather than celebrating favourable economic statistics, insisting that the true measure of any economic policy lies in its ability to reduce poverty, create jobs and raise living standards.
The party also faulted the administration’s dependence on palliative programmes, saying temporary relief measures could not provide sustainable solutions to poverty and food insecurity.
It argued that lasting progress would only come through structural reforms that boost production, strengthen agriculture and create sustainable sources of livelihood.
As part of what it described as its alternative economic plan, the ADC pledged to lower energy costs, improve security in farming communities and rehabilitate Nigeria’s 264 abandoned dams to expand irrigation farming.
The party also promised to improve farmers access to quality seeds, fertilisers and agricultural extension services, invest in storage and agro-processing facilities, and establish regional agricultural production belts to enhance food distribution and reduce food prices.
It added that it would prioritise investment in nutrition, healthcare, education and skills development to address the underlying causes of poverty and hunger.
The ADC insisted that the success of any economic policy should be judged by improvements in the quality of life of Nigerians rather than government statistics.
“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.