The African Democratic Congress (ADC) says Nigeria has become poorer since the All Progressives Congress (APC) took over power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.
According to the party, over 139 million Nigerians now live below the poverty line — a shocking figure revealed in a new World Bank report.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the World Bank’s findings give an “unbiased verdict” on the state of the nation’s economy, showing how poverty, hunger, and inflation have deepened under the APC government.
“The World Bank numbers tell a painful story: under the APC and President Bola Tinubu’s government, more Nigerians have fallen into poverty than at any other time in our history. In 2019, four out of ten Nigerians were poor. Today, it is at least six out of ten,” the ADC stated.
The party described the jump in the number of people living below the poverty line—from 81 million in 2019 to 139 million in 2025—as alarming and far from the government’s story of economic recovery.
“We recall that President Tinubu, in his Independence Day address, declared triumphantly that ‘the worst is over,’ while citing statistics now shown to be inconsistent with the facts. Behind those optimistic figures lie grim realities — families skipping meals, children dropping out of school, and households selling assets just to survive,” Abdullahi said.
Soaring Costs and Shrinking Welfare
The ADC faulted the Federal Government for celebrating record revenue without tackling the rising cost of living. It said food inflation has pushed families to the wall, leaving millions unable to meet basic needs.
“Poor families now spend roughly 70 per cent of their income on food, leaving nothing for rent, school fees, or medicine,” the statement added.
The party also noted that Nigeria’s social protection programmes are shrinking fast. Coverage has dropped from 20% in 2019 to just 6% in 2025, while spending on social safety nets is only 0.14% of GDP — far below the global average of 1.5%.
“The truth is that Nigerians are worse off under the current administration. Contrary to the President’s claim, the worst is not over; it appears the worst has only just begun,” the ADC said.
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