World Bank report: Atiku faults Tinubu’s policy direction

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has voiced concerns over Nigeria's rising poverty levels, citing a recent World Bank report that places the country's poverty rate at 63 percent. In a statement issued in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku criticized the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu. He warned that increasing hardship across the country reflects policy shortcomings, stating that over 60 percent of Nigerians now live below the poverty line, up from about 40 percent a few years ago. Atiku described the situation as a direct outcome of poorly conceived and implemented policies, including the abrupt removal of fuel subsidies and the devaluation of the naira, executed without adequate safeguards for Nigerians. He further criticized the administration for a perceived disconnect from the realities faced by ordinary Nigerians, noting that rising poverty amid ongoing reforms indicates a failure in both policy direction and leadership. The former Vice President emphasized the need for carefully sequenced reforms, strengthened social protection measures, and policies focused on job creation, food security, and economic stability. He maintained that economic reforms should improve citizen welfare rather than deepen hardship. This criticism follows the World Bank's latest Nigeria Development Update, which highlighted a significant rise in poverty despite improvements in key macroeconomic indicators. The report, titled 'Nige