Former Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, on Wednesday, argued that the Federal Government should not be held responsible for the 133 million Nigerians living in multi-dimensional poverty.
In a video presentation shared on X by Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, Agba explained that tackling poverty is primarily the duty of state and local governments. He noted that while financial poverty refers to living below $2 a day, multidimensional poverty is defined by lack of access to essential services such as education, healthcare, clean water, and sanitation.
“The truth, from what the survey showed, is that the Federal Government has nothing to do with multi-dimensional poverty,” Agba said, referencing the 2022 National Multidimensional Poverty Index survey which he supervised. He dismissed claims that past or current presidents increased poverty levels, stressing that the responsibility lies with sub-national governments.
Agba criticized governors for focusing resources on state capitals while neglecting rural communities where most citizens live. He pointed out that wealth alone does not shield individuals from poverty if their communities lack basic infrastructure. “If you have all the money in the world and you fall ill at night with no healthcare available, you are multi-dimensionally poor, even with ten million dollars in your pocket,” he remarked.
Defending the current administration’s economic policies, Agba likened the removal of fuel subsidy to a painful but necessary medical procedure. He argued that the hardship Nigerians are experiencing is temporary and essential for long-term stability. “We all want to have an omelette, but no one wants to break eggs. I think now is the time to break the eggs so that we can have a future,” he said.
Agba concluded that sustainable poverty reduction requires sub-national governments to prioritize rural development and deliver constitutionally mandated services, rather than shifting blame to the Federal Government.
