By NEWSCOUNT Desk
Peter Ojonugwa Ameh, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Kogi East Senatorial District in the 2027 general election, has blamed President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies for the rising number of Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty.
Ameh spoke in reaction to the 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), which showed that an additional 17.9 million Nigerians became multidimensionally poor between 2021 and 2024.
The report stated that Nigeria recorded the largest increase in the number of people living in multidimensional poverty among the countries that experienced a rise during their respective assessment periods.
According to the report, Nigeria’s multidimensional poverty rate increased from 33 per cent in 2021 to 38.7 per cent in 2024, while the estimated number of people living in multidimensional poverty rose from 72.2 million to 90.1 million.
Reacting to the findings, Ameh accused the Tinubu administration of pursuing policies that had worsened the economic difficulties faced by ordinary Nigerians, including households previously considered middle class.
“Under the Tinubu government, almost the entire middle class has been turned into handout takers and beggars,” he said.
Ameh described the situation as the outcome of what he called a poorly conceived vision supported by poorly implemented, anti-people policies.
He further accused the administration of failing to deliver on its promises to Nigerians, arguing that the growing poverty figures raised serious questions about the impact of its economic decisions on citizens.
Ameh is a Nigerian politician and democracy advocate who previously contested the 2019 presidential election on the platform of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). He has served as National Chairman of the PPA and Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), and is the National Chairman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).
He is seeking election to represent Kogi East Senatorial District in the 2027 National Assembly elections on the platform of the NDC.
Multidimensional poverty measures deprivation beyond income, including inadequate access to education, healthcare, housing, clean water, sanitation and other basic necessities. The latest findings therefore point to challenges affecting several aspects of the living conditions of millions of Nigerians.
