Rev. Fr. George Ehusani, Executive Director of the Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, has delivered a scathing assessment of Nigeria’s economic situation, saying he has never witnessed the level of hunger and poverty currently confronting Nigerians in his 69 years.
Ehusani attributed the worsening hardship to what he described as poorly thought-out economic policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and floating of the naira.
The cleric said the reforms were implemented without adequate measures to cushion their impact on citizens, arguing that the government “put the cart before the horse.”
He said the depth of the current crisis was evident in the growing number of Nigerians struggling to afford basic food, including adults who now resort to begging.
Ehusani also questioned the timing of the Federal Government’s latest poverty-reduction initiatives, arguing that such interventions should have commenced immediately after the subsidy removal in 2023 rather than in 2026, months before the 2027 general elections.
The cleric further criticised President Bola Tinubu’s remark that hunger existed before he was born, describing it as unfortunate in view of the hardship Nigerians are currently experiencing.
For Ehusani, the central issue is no longer whether government can provide palliatives, but whether its economic policies can create the conditions for Nigerians to earn sustainable incomes and escape poverty.
He urged the government to tackle insecurity and provide basic infrastructure and economic opportunities, arguing that Nigerians are hardworking and need an environment that allows them to provide for themselves.
The comments come amid intense public debate over the economic consequences of the Tinubu administration’s reforms and the government’s response to rising poverty and cost-of-living pressures.
Rev Fr George Ehusani
