Nigeria Is Not A Poor Country, Says President Jonathan

In the May Day rally held at the Eagle Square, Abuja, President Goodluck Jonathan, while addressing the workers, faulted the World Bank report which placed Nigeria among the five poorest countries in the world.

World Bank president Dr. Jim Kim had said "the fact is that two-thirds of the world’s extreme poor are concentrated in just five countries: India, China, Nigeria, Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of Congo."

But President Jonathan believes that “the challenge of the country is not poverty, but redistribution of wealth.’’ stating “the challenge of the country is not poverty, but redistribution of wealth.’’

Okonjo-Iweala Clarifies World Bank’s Poverty Rating of Nigeria

Nigeria's Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said World Bank’s ``extreme poor nation’’ rating of Nigeria was based on the large number of poor people living in the country, according to dailytimes.


In a meeting held in Washington on Wednesday, World Bank President, Dr Jim Kim, announced that Nigeria was among the extremely poor countries in the world. Other mentioned countries were: India, China, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Pakistan, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Kim had said "the fact is that two-thirds of the world’s extreme poor are concentrated in just five countries: India, China, Nigeria, Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"If you add another five countries, Indonesia, Pakistan, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Kenya, the total grows to 80 per cent of the extreme poor,” he added.