Peter Obi: Nigeria has more poor people than China and India combined

Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra state, says there are more poor people in Nigeria than in India and China.

Obi said this at The Platform, an annual conference organised by Covenant Christian Centre in Lagos.

Citing the “Stress Index”, Obi said Nigeria is the most stressful country in the world.

“Today, we are the most stressful country. If you read the stress index, they said we are the most stressful,” he said at the programme which held on Tuesday.

The vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last elections said as poverty capital of the world, six people in Nigeria fall into poverty every minute.

“Today, Nigeria is home to the highest number of poor people living in any nation on earth,” he said. 

“If you look at the latest report of UNDP, it says Nigeria has moved from 86 million to 98 million persons living in extreme poverty. We are growing at five percent annually. Every minute, six Nigerians fall into poverty.

“In 2012, India had 276 million people living in extreme poverty. Today, they have less than 76. Nigeria has more people living in extreme poverty than China and India combined.”

He added that the country also has the least score globally when in terms of equality among citizens.

Obi said: “Nigeria is now the third most insecure place to live on the surface of the earth. We are now behind Afghanistan and Syria, and with daily killings, banditry and kidnappings, it is being speculated that Nigeria will soon overtake them.

“Our under-employment and unemployment is one of the worst in the world. People will tell you it is about 25 percent, it is actually over 30 percent. And with over 22 million young people in their productive age doing nothing, it is very worrisome.

“If you come to inequality, Nigeria’s inequality today is the worst; 157/157. We are the worst if you look at the oxfam report. In Nigeria, the richest on percent control 85 percent of the wealth. All other countries are working hard to lower this, in Nigeria it is even worsening.”