Nigeria's Political Campaigns Must Address Rising Poverty

Nigeria is entering a new political campaign season, marked by the proliferation of slogans and promises from politicians. However, the pressing issue is the economic hardship faced by many Nigerians, as highlighted by the World Bank's report indicating a rise in the national poverty rate from 61% in 2024 to 63% in 2025, affecting around 140 million people.

This increase is attributed to high inflation and weak income recovery. The National Bureau of Statistics has also reported that approximately 133 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor, facing deprivation in education, healthcare, and living conditions.

Despite a slight decrease in headline inflation from 15.91% in June 2026 to 15.43% in July 2026, food inflation rose to 20.31% in July, indicating that ordinary Nigerians continue to struggle with high food prices. The article stresses that political campaigns must address these economic realities rather than reducing them to mere statistics.