Emir Sanusi II: Elites Don’t Understand Poverty in Nigeria

The 14th Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said many members of Nigeria’s elite are out of touch with the reality of poverty in the country, stressing that real leadership must be rooted in empathy and service to the people.

Speaking in Abuja on Saturday during a public lecture to mark the 60th birthday of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, Sanusi said it wasn’t until he became Emir that he saw firsthand the harsh conditions many Nigerians live in.

“Many of the elite in Nigeria do not know what poverty is. As an economist, former CBN Governor, I see the numbers. I did not know poverty until I became Emir,” he said.

“And you go to the village and see the water they drink, the houses they live in, the two-block classrooms without roofs.

“Do we love the people, or do we just love ruling over them? What are our priorities? We make overheads and underpasses for ourselves in the cities, while in the rural areas they cannot reach hospitals. We are in crisis; how do we get out should be our focus.”

The lecture, themed “Weaponisation of Poverty as a Means of Underdevelopment: A Case Study of Nigeria,” drew attention to how poverty has not only persisted but also been used as a political tool to control and suppress citizens.

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who also spoke at the event, lamented that Nigerians continue to recycle the worst elements into positions of power.

“We keep electing people who only know how to grab power but don’t know what to do with it,” El-Rufai said.

Adding to the discourse, former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, noted that many issues treated in Nigerian hospitals are not medical but stem from deeper social and economic problems.

He blamed the country’s widespread poverty on corruption and poor governance, warning that nothing would change unless citizens take responsibility at the ballot box.

“Unless citizens live up to their responsibilities and vote for what is right,” Yusuf said, “we will keep facing the same challenges.”

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