Ahead of the forthcoming general elections, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has conducted a reality check on poverty ratio in the country.
The BBC described Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy and the contingent’s biggest oil producer, lamenting that it is a country where more than half of the population lives in poverty, and 60% of the urban population cannot afford the cheapest house.
It acknowledged that the Nigerian economy had only shown signs of recovery after a period of recession that ended in 2017.
The report affirmed that there are some very rich Nigerians but the gap between rich and poor was too clear to see in the country’s largest cities.
According to the report, which sampled the opinions of indigent economists, politicians and top government functionaries, including Dr. Bongo Adi of the Lagos Business School and Bismarck Rewane as well as Abdulazeez Musa, with the increase in population and continuing lack of jobs, it is evident that the gulf between the haves and the have nots will continue to widen in the future.
“About half of Nigeria’s population lives in cities. The divide between the poor and the rich has created a paradox as many newly-built houses in the wealthier areas of Lagos are empty, while overcrowding is a major issue in many poorer areas.
“60% of the population lives in absolute poverty – measured by the number who can afford only the bare essentials of shelter, food and clothing,” the report disclosed.
While alluding its claims to the recent report that Nigeria has the highest number of poor people in the world, overtaking India, the BBC reality check revealed that the World Bank in itself suggested that whomever wins the presidential election slated for February 16 must address the problem of poverty.