“Hunger Has Worsened Under Tinubu, Not Improved” – Peter Obi Faults President’s Comments on Food Crisis
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his recent remarks on hunger in Nigeria, describing the comments as insensitive to the hardship millions of Nigerians are currently facing.
Reacting to President Tinubu’s statement during a meeting with Catholic Bishops that “there has always been hunger in Nigeria, even before I was born,” Obi said while hunger has existed throughout history, the responsibility of every government is to reduce suffering, not normalise it.
According to Obi, available data shows that the country’s food security situation has deteriorated significantly since the current administration assumed office in 2023.
He noted that before the Tinubu administration took office, about 17 million Nigerians were experiencing acute food insecurity due to insecurity, armed conflict, banditry, and floods.
He argued that the figure has now risen to about 35 million people, indicating that the crisis has worsened rather than improved.
Obi also expressed concern over rising poverty, stating that Nigeria’s population living in extreme poverty has grown sharply. He said the figure, which stood at an estimated 87 million people before the current administration, is now projected to be approaching 140 million, making Nigeria home to one of the world’s largest populations living in extreme poverty.
While acknowledging that the Tinubu administration inherited serious economic and security challenges, Obi stressed that leadership should be judged by results rather than excuses.
“The government must honestly acknowledge that its response has fallen far short of what the situation demanded, with millions more Nigerians pushed deeper into poverty and hunger,” he said.
He blamed the worsening conditions on persistent insecurity, poor economic management, fiscal indiscipline, wasteful public spending, and inadequate investment in productive sectors of the economy.
Obi called on the Federal Government to prioritise investments in education, healthcare, agriculture, security, and small businesses while implementing policies that create jobs, increase production, and lift Nigerians out of poverty.
Reaffirming his vision for the country, Obi concluded with his familiar message: “A New Nigeria is Possible.”
