Eid-el-Fitr: Nigeria remains poverty capital of the world – ACF

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The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has expressed its concern that Nigeria, particularly the Northern region, continues to hold the unfortunate title of “poverty capital of the world,” where difficulties in daily living have become deeply rooted.

The forum, while extending its congratulations to Nigerian and global Muslim Ummah on the occasion of the 1447AH Eid-il-Fitr celebrations, remarked that widespread severe economic difficulties contradict official assertions of improvement. It further noted that multidimensional poverty and related socioeconomic and political deprivations continue to afflict a vast majority of citizens.

The forum stated that the Holy Month this year, which is normally a time of intense devotion, contemplation, selflessness, and kindness toward others, has been experienced in the face of existential difficulties and deteriorating living conditions.

In a statement released by the National Publicity Secretary of the forum, Prof. Muhammad-Baba said, “All three geo-political regions in the North face daunting, as if to signal an inexorable slide into dystopia. The Northcentral zone has been under siege as armed non-state actors continue to disturb the peace of the people in Benue, Niger, Plateau, Kogi and Kwara states. States in the Northwest, the epicentre of banditry, have remained under the vice grip of bloodthirsty criminals euphemistically labelled “bandits” as if to perversely rationalise their dark criminal enterprise.”

The forum observed that in the Northeast, religious extremists seem ready to re-emerge in their impractical quest for a supposed utopia. This further exemplifies Nigeria’s decline, as seen in the recent brutal assaults by disorganized non-state actors on military installations in Borno and Plateau states.

It elucidated that the existential cauldron of challenges is profound, expansive, cascading, and spiraling beyond control. Contributing to these challenges are protests from alleged opposition parties and individuals regarding extra-judicial arrests, unconstitutional detention, and other coercive measures employed by political authorities and their agencies that violate widely acknowledged universal democratic principles and practices.

According to Muhammad-Baba, “In short, the general situation of the people is of despair, hopelessness and despondency, such that the Ramadan fast as well as, coincidently, Lent, was observed attests to the peoples’ resilience and never-say-die spirits.

“Still, the political authorities must not take this situation for granted. Should conditions continue to deteriorate, the political authorities risk the peoples’ wrath and protests.”

He expressed that ACF holds the belief that the challenges in Nigeria can be overcome, and that significant progress could be made by embedding good governance principles into public policy creation and execution, rather than maintaining the current focus on political re-election campaigns for 2027.

ACF called for patience and steadfast prayers for a better Nigeria, emphasizing that no situation is permanent. They urged politicians aiming for the 2027 elections to adopt values and principles of prudence, restraint, and introspection in relation to their duties to the electorate.

It subsequently urged the provision of unwavering backing for security personnel in their efforts to reduce the number of criminals and criminal acts in Nigeria.

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