Amid unprecedented hardship in the country, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned that poverty will continue to bring chaos if left unaddressed.

Mr Abubakar, in a statement on X commemorating this year’s International Day for Poverty Eradication, described poverty as the greatest enemy that humanity has ever known, adding it breeds disease, ignorance, insecurity, and hopelessness.

“As a wise Nigerian proverb says, ‘When the poor man is hungry, peace sleeps outside.’ When poverty is defeated, the freedom and dignity of every man and woman will find true meaning,” the politician said.

Mr Abubakar advocated genuine, deliberate, and people-oriented solutions to combat poverty.

The former vice president tasked the government to take the “fight against poverty to every home, every community, and every school so that the ordinary Nigerian becomes part of the solution.”

“The declaration of this day as the International Day for Poverty Eradication is a timely reminder and a call to action. It urges governments, civil society, and every stakeholder to join hands in the fight against poverty in all its forms,” the politician said.

He said his advocacy for deliberate, people-centred solutions to end poverty remains strong and consistent because Nigeria has sadly earned the label of being among the nations hardest hit by poverty.

Mr Abubakar’s statement followed a World Bank Nigeria Development Update report, which revealed that 139 million Nigerians still live in poverty, amid food inflation and insecurity.

Mathew Verghis, the bank’s country director for Nigeria, said, “In 2025, we estimate that 139 million Nigerians live in poverty. The challenge is clear: how to translate the gains from the reforms into better living standards for all.”

“Many households continue to face hardship, with poverty and food insecurity remaining high.” Mr Verghis said. “Food inflation remains a major concern: poor households—who spend up to 70 per cent of their income on food—have seen the cost of a basic food basket rise fivefold between 2019 and 2024.”