ADC Urges Tinubu to Accept World Bank Report on Rising Poverty

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to accept the findings of the latest World Bank report, which shows a sharp rise in poverty levels across Nigeria.

According to the party, the October 2025 report — revealing that 139 million Nigerians now live below the poverty line, up from 81 million in 2019 — exposes the failure of the government’s economic policies and misplaced priorities.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the data highlights how the living conditions of millions have worsened under the current administration.

“The World Bank’s report tells a painful truth — under the APC and President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, more Nigerians have slipped into poverty than ever before.

In 2019, four out of every ten Nigerians were poor; today, that number has risen to at least six out of ten,” the statement read.

The ADC criticised the president’s Independence Day speech, accusing him of using “carefully crafted propaganda” to present a false sense of progress.

“Behind those polished numbers lies the harsh reality — families going hungry, children dropping out of school, and households selling their few possessions just to buy food and medicine,” the party said.

The ADC noted that about 30 million more Nigerians have fallen into extreme poverty, with many unable to afford sufficient food even if they spend all their income on it.

“The government may boast of record revenues and stability, but the truth is Nigerians are getting poorer every day. Food prices have skyrocketed — a bag of rice now costs five times more than it did four years ago. Most poor families spend nearly all their income just to eat, while social safety nets have almost vanished,” the statement continued.

Citing the World Bank’s findings, the party said Nigeria’s social protection coverage has dropped from 20% in 2019 to just 6% in 2025, with government aid to the poorest citizens nearly non-existent.

The ADC accused the APC of masking the country’s deepening poverty through “misleading statistics” and setting Nigeria’s poverty line far below international standards — a tactic it described as “hiding the poor rather than helping them.”

“President Tinubu should accept the World Bank’s verdict and confront the worsening hardship instead of redefining poverty to suit his administration’s narrative,” the ADC urged.

“What Nigeria needs now is not cosmetic reform but genuine leadership that puts people first.”

The party called on the government to prioritise food security, job creation, and strong social protection systems over mere revenue collection, saying inclusive growth must be more than a slogan.