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Public affairs commentator Mahdi Shehu has expressed concern over worsening living conditions in Nigeria, saying poverty is now visibly affecting more than 60 per cent of communities across the country.
His comments came in reaction to a recent World Bank assessment indicating that Nigeria’s poverty rate has risen to about 63 per cent, despite a reported easing in inflation.
In a post shared on X on Sunday, Shehu said the reality of hardship is evident to anyone who pays attention to daily life in communities.
“Just look around your neighbourhood, visit the markets, hotels, observe people on the street as they walk, watch their faces in grief,” he wrote.
He added that the physical appearance of many citizens reflects the depth of the economic struggle.
“Observe the shrinking nature of their bodies for those you are familiar with,” he said, insisting that the level of poverty is no longer hidden.
According to him, what is being experienced across many parts of the country reflects a deeper crisis that should not be ignored or denied.
“This is the current reality which is being denied serially and daily,” he stated.
Shehu warned that refusing to accept the situation could worsen the country’s challenges, stressing the need for honest assessment and urgent action.
“Accepting reality is the first step to a solution. Attempting to deny it is the beginning of peril,” he wrote.
He further cautioned that continued denial of the situation could lead to greater national consequences.
“Denying it serially and deliberately is the defining moment of inevitable tragedy,” he added.
Over 60% of Nigerian communities affected by poverty – Mahdi Shehu
