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71 Million Nigerians Are In Extreme Poverty – Tonye Cole
Tonye Cole, an APC candidate for governor in Rivers state, cited World Poverty Clock data that showed 71 million Nigerians were living in extreme poverty.
Speaking at the Nigeria Zero Hunger Symposium in Abuja, which the T200 Foundation organized to commemorate World Hunger Day, Tonye Cole pointed out that 25,000 people worldwide die from hunger every day, including more than 10,000 children.
The governorship candidate said: “Nigeria has the awful distinction of being the world capital of poverty, with 71 million people living in extreme poverty today (World Poverty Clock, 2023) and a total of 133 million people classed as multidimensionally poor according to National Bureau of Statistics data.
“In other words, about 828 million people will wake up every day having no idea when or where their next meal will come from, and many will go to bed that day without eating anything. This is according to a 2021 UN report. The UN further states that of these 828 million people, 25,000 will die today, including more than 10,000 children.
“Nigeria must design a simple, implementable, and sustainable poverty eradication model and stick to it over time.
“Other factors that contribute to hunger, such as violence, weak government, and health-care systems, must be addressed promptly if zero hunger is to be achieved. These are real difficulties in Nigeria and addressing them is critical not only for hunger eradication but also for the country’s overall progress.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s (GCFR) government is well positioned to push the goal of strengthening democratic institutions that will yield democratic dividends to the Nigerian people.”
Nigeria has a significant hunger issue, according to a T200 Foundation assessment, with a Global Hunger Index score of 27.9. The score varies significantly amongst the states.
Yobe, with a score of 44.2, has the highest hunger index rating of any state. Sokoto ranks second with a 42.1 overall score. Zamfara, Kebbi, and Jigawa are some more states that received high scores. These states have high rates of child wasting and malnutrition.
