The Rivers State’s All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, has quoted data showing that 71 million Nigerians are extremely poor.
He spoke at the Nigeria Zero Hunger Symposium in Abuja, organised by the T200 Foundation to mark World Hunger Day, and unveiled Nigeria’s hunger report.
Cole also mentioned that more than 10,000 children and 25,000 people globally die every day due to hunger, according to the United Nations.
He noted that Nigeria needs to develop a practical, sustainable, and easy-to-implement poverty eradication model and adhere to it over time.
He said, “Nigeria has the awful distinction of being the world capital of poverty, with 71 million people living in extreme poverty today (World Poverty Clock, 2023) and a total of 133 million people classed as multidimensionally poor according to National Bureau of Statistics data.
“In other words, about 828 million people will wake up every day having no idea when or where their next meal will come from, and many will go to bed that day without eating anything. This is according to a 2021 UN report. The UN further states that of these 828 million people, 25,000 will die today, including more than 10,000 children.
“Nigeria must design a simple, implementable, and sustainable poverty eradication model and stick to it over time.
He highlighted the contributing factors to hunger, stating that measures must be taken to address these issues.
He said “Other factors that contribute to hunger, such as violence, weak government, and health-care systems, must be addressed promptly if zero hunger is to be achieved. These are real difficulties in Nigeria and addressing them is critical not only for hunger eradication but also for the country’s overall progress.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s (GCFR) government is well positioned to push the goal of strengthening democratic institutions that will yield democratic dividends to the Nigerian people.”
The T200 Foundation’s report shows that Nigeria has a serious hunger problem with a Global Hunger Index score of 27.9, but there are significant variations in the score across states.
The state with the highest hunger index score is Yobe, with a score of 44.2, and the state with the second-highest score is Sokoto, with a score of 42.1. Other states with high scores include Zamfara, Kebbi, and Jigawa. These states have high rates of undernourishment and child wasting.
Executive Director of T200 Foundation, Amb. Emmanuel Osadebay stressed the need for collaboration among stakeholders to end hunger in Nigeria by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
