Presidential aspirant Peter Obi has questioned why Nigeria did not declare the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty a public holiday.
In a post published on his X account on 17 October 2026, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate argued that the occasion should have served as a day of national reflection.
Obi stated that Nigeria has become a symbol of the global poverty crisis.
He cited figures showing the country’s poverty rate rising from 40.1 per cent in 2019 to 56.2 per cent in 2023, with an estimated 63 per cent projected for 2026.
According to him, the trend demonstrates how a nation can move progressively backwards while those in authority appear unconcerned.
Millions of Nigerians, he said, are struggling to afford food and access healthcare.
Obi questioned the meaning of economic growth when citizens are becoming poorer, hungrier and more insecure.
He insisted that progress must be measured by improvements in people’s lives rather than abstract statistics.
Call for Competent Leadership and Investment
The former Anambra State governor maintained that poverty is not Nigeria’s destiny.
He called for competent leadership, prudent management of public resources, and increased investment in education, healthcare, agriculture and small businesses.
Such measures, he argued, could reverse the current trend.
Obi described a new Nigeria in which no citizen goes to bed hungry and every citizen lives in dignity as both possible and achievable.
The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed annually on 17 October to raise awareness of the challenges faced by people living in poverty and to promote global efforts to eliminate it.
Obi’s intervention adds to ongoing public debate about the cost of living, economic reforms and the effectiveness of government policies in addressing hardship.
His comments come as Nigeria continues to grapple with high levels of multidimensional poverty and widespread economic pressure on households.
Stakeholders are likely to view the post as part of his broader campaign messaging ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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