Former Communication Minister Adebayo Shittu has raised a stark warning about the growing poverty crisis in Nigeria, recounting personal experiences that highlight the nation’s deepening economic woes.
Appearing on the AIT programme *Focus Nigeria*, the ex-minister, a resident of Ibadan, described how individuals have resorted to begging for meager sums.
“Yesterday, before leaving Ibadan, I received a call from Bauchi where someone begged me for N1,000, claiming he hadn’t eaten for two days,” Shittu said. He recalled another instance when a woman called him 30 times in a single day, pleading for N3,000, a sum he confessed he could not spare at that moment.
Shittu noted that this trend of desperation is a direct result of policies that have left many Nigerians impoverished, reducing citizens to beggars.
He lamented that during elections, voters seem less interested in politicians’ abilities and more focused on immediate material gains.
Despite his past role in government under President Muhammadu Buhari, Shittu now survives on a modest allowance from his children, emphasizing that his honest service left him with little wealth.
His message underscores the urgent need for sustainable economic reforms to address the nation’s escalating poverty.
