Veteran journalist and political thinker, Dr. Chidi Amuta, has decried the state of poverty in Nigeria, describing the country as a “poverty republic” and accusing the political elite of weaponizing poverty to maintain control over a disenfranchised population.
Amuta made these remarks during a public lecture on democracy and poverty, hosted by Rotimi Amaechi. The lecture, titled “Democracy and the Poverty Republic,” offered a hard-hitting analysis of the intersection between governance, poverty, and political manipulation in Nigeria and Africa at large.
“What we have done is that our democracy is gradually redefining itself into something like a government of the poor by the rich for the rich,” Amuta said, drawing wide applause from the audience.
Amuta began by stating that Nigeria had overtaken India as the world’s poverty capital. According to him, more than half the country now lives in extreme or multidimensional poverty. While previous definitions of poverty focused on those earning less than $2 a day, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics now uses a broader metric that includes lack of access to education, healthcare, electricity, shelter, and job opportunities.
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“Today, about 130 million Nigerians out of 200 million are poor by this more realistic measure,” he revealed. “So we now live in what I call a poverty republic.”
He argued that this level of poverty is not just an economic issue, but a national security threat that breeds criminality, banditry, and social unrest.
Amuta asserted that democracy, by definition, is a function of choice—people freely choosing who governs them. However, he stressed that poverty erodes that freedom, because poor citizens are often too disempowered or manipulated to make informed decisions.
“A poor society is poor in making decisions. If there’s no empowerment, you cannot have democracy,” he said.
He referenced global history, pointing out that in Europe, it was economic empowerment after the Industrial Revolution that led to the rise of democracy. Workers formed the middle class, challenged monarchies, and pushed for parliamentary systems. In contrast, in Africa, democracy was imposed from the top by colonial elites and not demanded by an empowered population.
“In Africa, the elites and colonialists decided democracy was good and forced it on the people. That’s why only 20 out of 54 African countries are minimally democratic today,” Amuta said.
Amuta lamented that in Nigeria, poverty has now become a legacy, passed from parents to children. He shared the story of parents who borrow money to send their children to school, only for those children to graduate into a system that offers no jobs, no future, and no hope.
“Some children can’t even afford to attend their parents’ funeral,” he said. “You impoverish yourself to educate a child who ends up unemployed.”
He also described how poverty now affects social cohesion. Wealthy Nigerians are afraid to return to their hometowns, where unemployed relatives may see kidnapping as a more profitable venture than begging for handouts.
“In my village, people don’t go home anymore. Their mansions are empty. Why? Fear,” he said.
Dr. Amuta highlighted the troubling evolution of politics into a high-yield industry. According to him, politicians invest in elections because the returns on investment are astronomical, often surpassing what business or trade can offer.
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“Some people who used to travel by night bus are now flying private jets,” he noted. “Politics and criminality are Nigeria’s fastest-growing industries.”
He explained how poverty has been weaponized—with politicians handing out money and food (what he called “stomach infrastructure”) to desperate citizens during elections. But he added that this trick may be losing its power.
“People now collect the money and refuse to vote. In recent elections, we saw the lowest voter turnout since 1999—just 20%,” he noted.
In his final remarks, Amuta emphasized that no real democracy can exist in Nigeria while millions of children still go to bed hungry, study under trees, or read by candlelight. He condemned election results being announced before votes are cast, and the rampant rigging that makes a mockery of democratic ideals.
“Hope is not a speech. It is not propaganda. You cannot impose hope,” he declared. “Those suffering in silence are what I call the midnight children. They will torment this country forever unless we act.”
