El-Rufai Says More Poor Nigerians Exist Now Than at Independence, Calls for Pragmatic Economic Reforms
By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News
Former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has raised concerns over the worsening poverty levels in Nigeria, stating that there are now more poor Nigerians than the country had in its entire population at the time of independence in 1960.
Speaking at an interactive session in Owerri, Imo State, El-Rufai emphasised that Nigeria’s current poverty statistics are deeply alarming and require urgent government intervention. He further shared excerpts of his speech on his official X (formerly Twitter) page, stressing the need for deliberate governance reforms and economic policies to combat mass poverty.
“It is deeply embarrassing that, judging from the population estimate in 1960, there are now more poor Nigerians than there were Nigerians at independence 65 years ago. China has beaten mass poverty, while India is on a path to ending it. We too can do it if we make it a governance priority to move our people out of poverty,” El-Rufai stated.
‘Nigeria Needs Pragmatic Economic Solutions’
El-Rufai, who is a key member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said poverty alleviation should go beyond political rhetoric and be treated as a national emergency requiring concrete action plans rather than bureaucratic expansion.
He dismissed the creation of additional government agencies such as those for humanitarian affairs as inadequate solutions, arguing that what the country needs is a pragmatic, well-coordinated economic programme with clear targets and results-driven initiatives.
“We need an economic programme to achieve this important human goal, a programme that is pragmatic in execution but ambitious in its goal,” he said. “In this regard, what is needed is not new agencies of poverty alleviation or ‘humanitarian affairs’ with a massive bureaucracy, but innovative ways to make honest, hardworking citizens more productive and better-rewarded, while discouraging rent-seeking and other ‘get-rich-quick’ schemes in our society.”
Lessons from China and India
Citing examples from Asia, the former governor highlighted how China successfully lifted over 700 million people out of poverty within decades through sustained economic reforms and industrialisation, while India continues to make progress on similar paths through technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and rural development programmes.
According to El-Rufai, Nigeria can replicate these successes if leaders prioritise economic inclusiveness, infrastructural development, education, and empowerment initiatives targeted at youth and rural communities.
A Call for Economic Reorientation
Akahi News gathered that El-Rufai also criticised Nigeria’s rising culture of wealth without productivity, describing it as a threat to economic growth and social stability. He called for the dismantling of structures that encourage rent-seeking, corruption, and quick-profit schemes at the expense of sustainable economic development.
“What this country needs are policies that reward hard work, innovation, and integrity,” he emphasised, “while discouraging the mentality of shortcuts and rentier wealth that has crippled our economic productivity for decades.”
The Bigger Picture
The former governor’s remarks come at a time when Nigeria is battling economic hardships characterised by high inflation, unemployment, and a depreciating currency. Many Nigerians have continued to express concerns over the rising cost of living and the government’s seeming inability to cushion the impact on vulnerable households.
Analysts believe El-Rufai’s call for pragmatic economic reforms resonates with growing demands for a new economic vision that prioritises productivity, job creation, and inclusive growth over bureaucratic expansion and political patronage.
As the nation grapples with these challenges, it remains to be seen whether policymakers will take cues from his suggestions and develop a comprehensive roadmap to address mass poverty in Africa’s most populous country.
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