I Won’t Be Surprised If More People Become Poor – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has noted that he would not be surprised if poor people become more due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to him, it is expected that the number of poor people in the country triple as a result of the impact of the virus.

This Buhari said today in a statement, released by his media aide Femi Adesina.

According to Adesina, Buhari made this known in a recorded video message to a virtual high-level United Nations meeting focused on trends, options, and strategies in poverty eradication across the world.

National Bureau of Statistics in 2019 Poverty and Inequality in Nigeria report released in May, showed that 82.9 million Nigerians are living in poverty.

Buhari said the domestic supply chains and trading corridors have come under enormous strain, revealing a health versus economic debate.

He further showed concern that with a population of about 200 million people, a large percentage of Nigerians live in various categories of poverty.

The president added that the prospect of the population sliding further into extreme poverty was real but gave the assurance that his government is also striving to reverse the trend.