Obi Questions Nigeria’s Failure to Declare Public Holiday for Poverty Day

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has questioned why the Federal Government did not declare a public holiday to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

Obi said the occasion should have provided an opportunity for national reflection on worsening poverty and the growing difficulty many Nigerians face in meeting their basic needs.

In a statement posted to mark the international day, he cited figures indicating that Nigeria’s poverty rate rose from 40.1 per cent in 2019 to 56.2 per cent in 2023. He also put the estimated rate for 2026 at 63 per cent.

The former Anambra State governor expressed concern that millions of Nigerians could no longer afford adequate food and healthcare despite government claims of economic progress.

“What meaning does economic growth have when citizens are getting poorer, hungrier, and more insecure?” he asked.

Obi argued that economic growth should translate into better living conditions for citizens rather than remain a statistic that fails to reflect their daily struggles.

He said the government should have declared the day a public holiday, not for celebration, but to encourage a national conversation about the country’s deepening poverty.

“Perhaps today should have been declared a public holiday, not for celebration, but for national reflection on how a country so richly endowed with human and natural resources has allowed poverty to overcome it,” he said.

Obi called for more prudent management of public funds and greater investment in education, healthcare, agriculture and small businesses to reverse the trend.

He maintained that competent leadership and policies that improve citizens’ welfare could help Nigeria tackle poverty and expand economic opportunities.

The NDC presidential candidate insisted that poverty should not determine the country’s future, expressing confidence that Nigeria could build a society where citizens meet their basic needs and live with dignity.

“A new Nigeria where no citizen goes to bed hungry and where every citizen lives in dignity is possible and OK,” he added.