Peter Obi questions why Nigeria did not declare World Poverty Day public holiday

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has questioned why Nigeria did not declare the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty a public holiday, saying the occasion should have been used for national reflection on rising poverty. Obi made the remarks in a post marking the international day, arguing that millions of Nigerians are struggling to afford food and healthcare. He cited figures in his post showing that Nigeria’s poverty rate rose from 40.1 per cent in 2019 to 56.2 per cent in 2023, with the rate projected to reach 63 per cent in 2026. “What meaning does economic growth have when citizens are getting poorer, hungrier, and more insecu...